Obsession
by Nicole4211
Summary: A story about the intense emotions between Orihime and Ulquiorra as they go from enemies, to superior and subordinate, to friends, to lovers, and finally to soul mates. Lots of lemony goodness... eventually.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own bleach or any of these characters. If I did, Ulquiorra would surely not be dead and every character would have a pet Pug. **

_**Obsession**_

**Chapter 1**

'How much more of this could she bear?' she wondered to herself as she watched the white robes steadily walk out of the room that was her dungeon. No man… no wait, no person has ever in her life made her so infuriatingly mad before. He was able to dig himself under her skin and find the exact points that would drive her insane with hatred and confusion.

Everyday it grew harder and harder for her to sustain the false hope that kept her strong enough to face her captor. She could feel her friend's reiatsu's growing weaker and weaker and Ulquiorra took that as an opportunity to start driving the last stake into her heart.

On one such day, she felt her large friends reiatsu nearly fade away into nothing and she hoped with everything she had that there was enough left for him to be alive. 'What kind of life could there be if one of her friends died while trying to save her?'

When she heard the monotonous steps and the abrupt warning that he was entering, Orihime slowly turned and looked into those disturbingly emotionless eyes. 'Why now?' she thought to herself as she listened to his piercing words. She knew she was close to the edge of her strength so she grasped at the only thing that would keep her sane. In her head she repeatedly mumbled, 'Sado-kun isn't dead.' It was all she could do or she would truly be lost while the villains words sought to destroy her mind.

Before she knew it, her feet were flying across the room. An instant later she grasped her hand and rubbed the stinging from her skin. She had finally snapped. Instead of losing herself to his poisonous words though like she had feared, she had felt such a tremendous furry building up inside her and she let it burst forth in a fearless move. When she looked up into the pale face she felt a moments surprise but it was quickly washed away by the anger that was still bubbling inside.

Her captor turned abruptly and left her room, mumbling something that she didn't care to listen to. The sound of her breathing was the only thing left in the room when the door slammed shut and her body crumbled inside of itself. Her arms clench the fabric over her stomach and she wept.

She cried for her friends. She cried for the hopelessness she felt growing within.

Outside, Ulquiorra walked down the stark white hallway; his hands thrust inside his pants as he relived the last few moments of events in his mind. He was surprised by how much it had bothered him to hear the woman mumbling over and over again about how her friends were alright.

'Why did he care if she still hoped for something impossible? It would only work to his advantage when all that hope came crashing down as each of her friends were defeated one by one.'

Still though, he wanted her to be one of them. He wanted her to submit to his will which in turn meant she had submitted completely to Aizen. She would be his greatest triumph. It was easy to physically defeat someone with the power he had obtained but to completely control someone's spirit and mind; that was a feat worth way more, especially when that control was over someone like her.

Subconsciously, Ulquiorra placed his hand over his cheek. 'Things were moving too quickly,' he thought. He needed more time to break her. There was still too much hope residing inside of her. He needed to crush the main thing she clung to. He needed to crush Ichigo Kurosaki.

XxXxXxX

'Why is he walking away from me? Doesn't he want to kill all of us?' Ulquiorra wondered while watching Ichigo turn and start heading towards his fallen friend.

'Regardless, I need to stop him. When he dies, I win the woman,' he mumbled to himself.

Ulquiorra taunted Ichigo one last time in an effort to start the inevitable confrontation. The look in the orange haired mans eyes told him everything he needed to know, this taunt had been successful.

When Ulquiorra stabbed his hand into the shinigami's chest, he felt a dull satisfaction in knowing he had won. Ultimately though, this wasn't the prize he was seeking.

He left the body lying in the rubble and headed back to the woman to show her just how helpless her situation was now. As he walked down the hallway he noticed something wasn't right. When he got closer, there was a huge hole in the wall and inside stood Aizen's two whores. He saw the fear in their eyes as he approached them. 'Where was the woman?'

Ulquiorra turned and left the room without so much as a backwards glance. 'How dare he take her? She was his,' he thought to himself as he searched for the reiatsu that would lead him to Grimmjow.

When he finally found the small group he felt fury nearly overwhelm him. 'Why was she with him?' His plan to destroy her spirit was now greatly set back. He could almost see the hope lighting up her face as she stood before her friend. 'Was she grateful to that blue haired idiot for bringing her there?' He had to control the anger within him as he questioned Grimmjow.

He didn't really care about the answers he was receiving, he only wanted the woman back. Her face looked pained when he glanced over at her, but there was something else. It almost looked like she was sorry for doing what she did; like she had been a bad subordinate and felt the need to apologize to her master. 'That was a good sign,' he thought.

Of course that blue haired idiot had to step in and try to start a fight for the zillionth time. 'I'll take care of him quickly,' Ulquiorra thought. When he saw the small square object fall into his chest he cursed himself for his carelessness and seethed in anger. 'This really put a kink in his plans for the woman.'

XxXxXxXx

Orihime watched as Ulquiorra walked into the room and stared at her as she healed Ichigo. 'Why did his eyes unnerve her so much? He seemed disappointed in her. Why disappointed? Why not angry?'

She also wondered why she felt the need to explain why she was there. His icy expression gave away little of what he was thinking and Orihime shivered in spite of herself.

'Why did her chest seem to expand when Ulquiorra told Grimmjow to hand her over?' questioned Orihime to herself.

Ulquiorra looked cold and unmoving as always. His crisp uniform and unflinching gaze gave him a look of uncompromising harshness. Orihime was startled when Grimmjow challenged him so blatantly. 'Did he really think he could beat him?' The thought unsettled her. When she saw her captor disappear before her eyes she gasped and then watched as the blue eyed devil approached her.

XxXxXxXxX (In the other dimension)

"Shit!" Ulquiorra muttered as the invisible wall enveloped him into the darkness. He had been so intent on finishing the ordeal between himself and Grimmjow that he hadn't expected the feline to pull something so low. Growling to himself, he started to push on the barrier with his reiatsu.

His thoughts started to wander as he stood there and he thought about the look on the woman's face as he had walked into the scene earlier. She had seemed so apologetic and nervous but there had been something behind all of that. Something had caught his attention just a moment after he had demanded that Grimmjow hand her back over to him. It had been the subtlest of movements but it was glued to his memory. Her body had seemed to almost melt before his eyes. He knew he had grown extremely adept at reading the woman so the slight movement had been like a huge explanation of what she was feeling.

His body reacted despite his efforts. He wanted to see more. He wanted to understand every reaction, every gesture that the woman made. She was his after all. Aizen had given her to him.

He had to get out.

XxXxXxX

Orihime felt defiance bubble up inside of her that she hadn't known existed until this moment. She glared at Grimmjow as he walked toward her, ordering her to heal her injured friend just so that he could hurt him again. When a hand shot out and grabbed the arm that had been reaching out to hurt her she gasped in shock and stared at her orange haired friend.

She felt confident as she watched the pair fly off into battle. Ichigo would win. He had to win. But Grimmjow wasn't the one that frightened her so much. She didn't feel the same confidence when she thought of him fighting a certain Espada with large emerald eyes.

A bit later…

Orihime turned as she heard something crack and split open. She watched a hand reach out of seemingly nothingness to be followed by the rest of Ulquiorra's body. Her whole body froze as she watched his approaching figure. His graceful movement was somehow seductive and she held her breath until he was only a few steps away.

She was grateful that she was able to answer his question so confidently. When his hand reached out, searching for her heart, she involuntarily gasped and stared at Ulquiorra in shock. 'Why was he always so intensely curious about such things?' Orihime wondered. 'He protested human emotions but at the same time he seemed to search desperately for an answer to the same thing he denied.'

Orihime bolstered her courage and was about to demonstrate the full extent of her emotions when a loud crash broke through the tense room and a flash of orange burst through the wall. She felt a moment of agitation at the interruption but it was quickly washed away and replaced with a terrible fear for what was about to happen.

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra was instantly aware of the woman standing nearby as he finally broke through the invisible barrier that Grimmjow had created. He needed to gauge the amount of damage the past few events had done to the progress he had made with the woman. When she answered his question of whether or not she was scared he knew he had lost. The small glimmer of hope he had had before Grimmjow had taken her from him was shattered and in its place he could see an immense strength settling over the woman.

He listened to her words as they came stoically from her mouth. It seemed almost absurd to him as she continued her explanation but he was intrigued as well. He'd never seen a human exhibit so much emotion for other humans. 'Maybe there was more to this than he'd thought.'

As he reached his hand out and questioned her further about these elusive emotions he was startled when a loud crash rang out behind him. Anger soon replaced his surprise when he saw who it was that had interrupted their discussion. 'He'd take care of this once and for all,' he thought to himself as he turned and unsheathed his sword.

This woman was his and he would do whatever necessary to keep her, especially from this foe.

XxXxXxX

The battle raged as Orihime watched helplessly. Every slash of a sword and every splatter of blood tore a piece of her soul from her. She couldn't stand watching Ichigo get torn apart but even the few blows he landed on Ulquiorra caused her pain.

She was startled when cool hands reached out and grasped at her clothing. Terror threatened to cloud her mind as she struggled against the two girls who were tearing apart her clothing and threatening to end her life. She watched Ichigo dash across the room to save her from the onslaught but couldn't believe her eyes when she saw him wind up to throw his Getsuga Tenshou in her direction.

At the last moment, a flash of white interrupted the deadly blow and bright green eyes stared back at her. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. What did it mean? Why did he stop the blow if it hadn't been to protect the two girls who had grabbed her? 'It couldn't possibly have been to protect her,' she thought to herself.

Another rumble intruded on her thoughts and before her stood a massive figure that she recognized from the first time she had seen an Arrancar. She watched as Yammy backhanded one of her tormentors across the room. The other girl was quick to follow and Orihime trembled with fright when he turned his attention to her.

The sight of Ishida-kun was such a relief that Orihime nearly collapsed where she stood. She was so happy to see him alive.

While she watched her Quincy friend dispatch the large Espada, she heard Ichigo order Ishida to protect her. A moment's agitation flooded her at the words. 'Why did he always think so little of her?'

She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and watched as the battle started once again. Leaning out of the hole the two had created, Orihime turned her face skyward to see a large tare in the dome. She had to get up there.

The sight she beheld as she ran off Uryu's platform was the most terrifying picture she had ever seen. She couldn't control the sounds erupting from her body as she ran towards the falling body of her friend.

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra turned when he heard the woman approaching and was delighted that she was about to witness the destruction of the final barrier that stood between himself and having total possession of the woman. He blasted a hole through the nearly lifeless figure and released it to fall to the ground far below. When he watched the woman charge after the now dead figure and catch the body with her shield, he dove down the stop her. He didn't know if she was capable of healing him or not. From what he had learned of her powers he would guess that she probably could bring him back. He wasn't going to let that happen.

The sudden stinging of arrows from the annoying Quincy diverted his attention but he was aware of the woman reaching her friend and enveloping him with her healing bubble. He took care of the pest quickly and was just about to finish him off when a gut wrenching scream tore from the woman's body, followed by an equally terrifying scream from some strange creature that stood where the orange haired body used to lie.

XxXxXxX

The sight of Ichigo's hollow mask used to frighten her enough but the figure standing before her now was beyond anything she could ever imagine. Even in her darkest nightmares that she had suffered while a prisoner in Las Noches she hadn't dreamt of anything this horrifying. The guttural scream that emanated from the monster sent tremors through her body and she watched in confused terror as it tore through Ulquiorra's body.

A small grain of hope infused her body as she listened to Ulquiorra talk about his regenerative powers. Any sliver of hope in this nightmare was worth grasping on to. She never wanted to see anyone die; especially not someone who seemed so desperate for love but had never experienced the sensation in any form.

As Ichigo leaned over the shredded body, Orihime was paralyzed in fear. She couldn't believe that Ichigo was capable of such a thing, but that wasn't the end. Ishida ran towards the monster and reached out a hand to halt the descent of the final blow which would end Ulquiorra's life forever.

Orihime couldn't believe her eyes when she watched that same blade turn and slice through Uryu's stomach. She screamed out his name tried to think of a way to stop this horrible turn of events. When hopelessness seemed to envelope her she looked up and saw a winged figure dart out and slash Ichigo's mask in two.

She was so relieved when she saw Ichigo transform back into his human form that she forgot about the man who had saved her and her friend. When she finally did turn to find Ulquiorra, her eyes ran into the sight of ash falling from his body. Once again, she was paralyzed. 'This can't happen this way,' she pleaded inside her head.

When his bony hand reached out towards her she hesitated a moment and she let the enormity of the situation sink in. 'Of course she wasn't afraid,' she thought to herself as she reached out her hand to grasp his. 'How could she be afraid of someone who had come to mean so much to her?'

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra watched the woman's hand pass through his ashes. 'This can't be it,' he thought to himself as he felt the rest of his body crumble away. How could he come so close, only to disappear when the thing he wanted was within his grasp?

He fought the darkness that tried to rip him apart. Most of his existence he had fought the darkness. In time he had learned to take that darkness within himself and become one with it. He didn't want to be a part of it now. The glimpse of the sun he had gotten just moments before his body had disintegrated pushed him to fight harder. He wanted the light.

His soul clung desperately to the tiny flame of hope. He had trained himself obsessively to obtain the ability to regenerate his entire body. Super-fast regeneration had become a simple thing to do when it came to his extremities but regenerating his organs had always been an elusive process. He had never been willing to deliver that damaging blow to himself which would allow him to practice the technique he had developed.

With a surge of energy, Ulquiorra reached out with whatever power was left in him and grasped the tiny bit of light that had suddenly appeared. 'This was it,' he thought to himself as he felt his heart beat in time with something foreign. 'One way or the other, I will never be the same.'

XxXxXxX

The tiny bits of ash that floated through her fingertips brought tears to her eyes. She fell to her knees and clutched at her stomach as sobs tore through her body. 'This couldn't be happening,' she whispered to herself over and over again as she rocked her body back and forth. When she heard Ichigo quietly ask her something she shook herself out of her trance and looked over at the familiar face. He was normal again.

Orihime sighed with relief but then her eyes widened when she saw Uryu from the corner of her eye. 'How could she have let herself forget about him?'

She quickly ran over to Uryu and placed her healing shield over him while Ichigo called out over his shoulder that he was going to go help the rest of their group down below. While she stood there alone, waiting for Uryu's body to piece itself back together, her thoughts strayed back to the pile of ash that lay nearby. She knew it was beyond her ability to bring him back.

Orihime walked over to where she had last seen Ulquiorra. She closed her eyes and started to recount every memory she had of him. There was so much sadness and despair but mixed within these was tiny sparks of something else. She grasped at these sparks and let herself dwell on those memories.

After what seemed like a long time, Orihime inhaled a large breath and threw her head back, clasping her hands against her chest and let her heart pour out all the emotions she had bottled up inside. She cried for Ulquiorra. She cried for what was lost.

When the last sob escaped her lips, Orihime took a long, shuttering breath and felt her heart expand. She would forever remember him, in her heart.

His heart would now beat as one with hers.

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra didn't know when his thoughts had come back to him. One minute there had been nothingness and the next minute he was conscious of a constant pounding surrounding him. It wasn't a loud sound but it seemed to fill every space around him. Soon he was able to hear his own heart beating, the two sounds meshing into one constant rhythm that was oddly peaceful.

As time went by, he was aware of new feelings. He had no idea how much time passed as one day he was able to take large gulps of air into his new lungs and the next he was able to feel something hard beneath him. When he was finally able to open his eyes, he stared at the dark sky above him and blinked several times to adjust his vision.

The dull thud which was still timed with his own heartbeat quietly pushed him to raise himself up. Everything was as he remembered it. Destroyed pillars dotted the horizon and blood stained rocks were scattered everywhere. The place was empty though.

He searched the area with his Pesquisa and found no traces of spiritual pressure. Unfolding his large wings, Ulquiorra dove down from the ceiling and landed on the ground next to the pillar where he had left the woman before continuing his fight with Ichigo. He searched again and found a small trace of spiritual pressure coming from within the building.

Ulquiorra followed that trail until he found himself in Aizen's throne room but it was not Aizen who sat upon the throne, it was Tier Harribel.

**More to come! I hope you enjoyed it so far. Might have been a little slow but I needed to set the story up. Lemon's to come in later chapters since I simply can't help myself. Please review! **

**Ah, it is so great to be back writing again. I've had company the past week and a half so I wasn't able to write anything at all. I feel like I'm just bursting with stuff to write about. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I always try to look up the correct spelling for the characters names while I'm writing and in the 1st chapter when I wrote Halibel's name I looked it up and I guess there are 2 different ways it is written (Japanese and Romanized). I never realized it before so I'm going to use Halibel in this chapter because to me it looks more correct. Sorry for any confusion.**

**Chapter 2**

"Ulquiorra, you're alive," stated Halibel as she lifted her surprised face while cutting off one of her subordinates in mid-sentence with a wave of her hand.

The green eyed Espada didn't feel the need to reply to such an obvious statement so instead continued to walk forward. His hands rested calmly in his pockets as he took in the scene around him; his eyes betraying nothing of the shock he felt at seeing the blonde woman sitting on his master's throne.

"What is going on here?" he questioned as he stopped his feet in front of the steps that lead to the wide throne.

"I have taken over control of Las Noches since Aizen's defeat. Only a few of us were left," answered Halibel as she sunk back into the hard chair.

Inside Ulquiorra's pockets his fingers clenched the fabric that hung between his hands and his legs. His eyes narrowed slightly but it was quickly erased as he asked, "How long has it been?"

Halibel's green eyes, a lighter shade than his own, stared evenly at Ulquiorra as she answered, "17 months."

Neither of the two Espada had ever been much for conversation so the quick dialogue came as no surprise as Ulquiorra turned around and started heading out of the room. He had always respected the #3 Espada. Her cool demeanor and unswerving patience were in large contrast to so many of the other ranking Espada. He had never understood though her devotion to her subordinates who seemed to be a rowdy group of hot headed idiots.

He turned from the room and subconsciously timed his footsteps to the slow thud that followed him down the hallways. He wondered at the source of this noise which had been with him since his thoughts had returned. Pulling his pale white hand from his pocket he reached up and slowly unzipped the top of his uniform down a few inches to reveal the hole that suddenly felt a strange tightening. He ran the tip of his finger around the edge and stopped his progression forward abruptly. 'Why did his hollow hole feel smaller?'

Suddenly his knees gave out beneath him and he nearly landed face first into the hard tiled floor but caught himself at the last second with his palms. He picked himself up onto his hands and knees and moved one of his hands back over the hole between his neck and chest. His index finger traced the edge of his skin once again and his eyes widened in shock when he noticed that the hole was even smaller. 'What is happening to me?' he asked himself.

When another wave of weakness washed over his body he dropped completely to the ground and rolled over onto his back, his eyelids closing tightly. His hand rested over his hollow hole and this time he could feel the skin as it seemed to stretch and form beneath his palm.

An intense wave of pain coursed through his body and his back arched up while his hands slapped the ground at his sides and tried to grab the tile underneath. His fingers slid over the cool marble due to the thin sheen of sweat that now clung to his entire body and his back slumped back down to the ground. A flood of air surged into his lungs and he gasped, clutching his throat at the new sensation.

Emerald orbs stared wide eyed at the ceiling above him while his breathing rasped greedily through his lips. When the rise and fall of his chest seemed to finally begin to slow, he slid his hand down from his throat. Pale fingers brushed against his collarbone and ran unhindered down his chest. The emptiness was gone.

Before he had time to absorb the shock of this revelation another bolt of pain sliced through his body and tore inside his head. His hands flew up to the top of his head, his one hand grasping the raven black hair between its fingers and the other pressing against the bone white helmet covering his head. The pain started to throb and he gritted his teeth against the onslaught.

When he thought he couldn't bare the pain a moment longer a blast of heat spread through his body and he heard a loud shattering. The heat pooled itself inside his chest and remained there while his rapid heart beat pounded loudly in his chest. His hand that had been clutching his helmet now held tiny pieces of bone and powdery sand. He released the handful of rubble and slid his fingers tentatively through his hair and rubbed the foreign skin beneath. The cool air felt strange on the newly exposed area. His other hand moved down to his chest and lay over his steadily beating heart.

He remained like this for several minutes while the pool of heat slowly started to cool with every breath. His hands moved to his sides and he lifted himself slowly from the ground into a sitting position. He placed his hands on either side of his head and slowly closed his eyes, rocking his body back and forth.

His thoughts began to run wildly through his head. What had just happened to him? His body felt weak. The amount of air needed to breathe seemed to have doubled and unfamiliar warmth tugged at his chest. It felt like he was being pulled by invisible strings to something unknown. Deep in his mind he was aware of a golden light glowing softly. A flash of silver orbs and sun kissed hair wafted through his thoughts. His chest tightened with the vision and he stopped his rocking, laying his hands on the ground and steadying himself as he rose from the ground. His legs wobbled underneath him and he reached a hand out to press against the wall. Hesitantly he took a step, not removing his hand as he placed his weight on the unsure foot. His muscles adjusted quickly to the new motion and he was able to let his arm fall back to his side as he started taking increasingly confident steps down the hall.

XxXxXxX

Orihime sat in class, her silver gaze straying to the open window as a cool breeze fluttered through the open space. She closed her eyes briefly to absorb the feeling and opened them quickly when a burst of heat flooded her chest. Her right hand reached up and pressed itself against her chest, clutching at the fabric of her uniform shirt as she gasped for breath. She quickly rose from her chair and ran out of the room, her movements followed by several startled and worried eyes.

She ran down the hallway, still clutching her chest and exited the building. After turning down several alleyways she leaned against the side of a building and tried to calm the rapid beating of her heart. Her shoulder dug into the red brick of the building as suddenly it felt like all the heat that had recently assaulted her chest felt like it was being sucked from her body. She turned to face the wall and her fingers grabbed onto the cool bricks in front of her as her body began to tremble. Her arms slid down the hard stones, slicing through her skin where a sharp edge dug into her. When her knees finally came in contact with the ground, she leaned her head against the wall and clutched her stomach as every last bit of warmth seemed to seep out of her body. A cry tore from her lips as a blast of icy liquid flooded her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her eyelids together at the feeling while her body continued to tremble.

Suddenly, a slow heat grew in her chest. Her hand pressed itself over the area and her breathing started to settle down. With every shuttering breath she took, the heat seemed to spread through her body until finally she was able to open her eyes again. She stared at the red and orange brick in front of her, her body slouching with exhaustion. When she heard footsteps rapidly approaching she turned her face to the side to see who it was.

"Inoue, what's wrong?" asked Ichigo as he took the last few steps to her side and knelt down, concern spreading across his face. Ishida, Chad and Tatsuki stood nervously behind.

Orihime closed her eyes and she took a deep breath before trying to lift herself up. Ichigo held out a hand to steady her and she clutched the proffered arm as she straightened herself. She looked at the concerned faces surrounding her and struggled to form a small reassuring smile. "I-I'm ok. I just need to rest for a minute."

The group looked doubtfully at each other as Orihime tried to gather herself. After a few moments Orihime looked up at each of their faces and asked, "Could one of you help me home? I think I just need to lay down for a bit."

They all spoke up at once but in the end it was decided that Ichigo would help Orihime home as the rest returned to class.

Orihime clung tightly to Ichigo's arm as she took a few steps forward. Her knee's wobbled under her weight with every unsure step until she felt arms scoop her up into a strong embrace. She didn't have the strength to look up so she rested her head against the warm hard chest and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, her breathing evened out and she fell into a heavy slumber.

"Inoue… I need your key," said Ichigo while he stood in front of the door to her apartment. Her response was a quiet snore. Ichigo grabbed the handle of the door and turned the knob, surprised to find it unlocked. 'Figures,' he thought. 'She trusted people way too much.'

He placed the sleeping bundle on the soft couch and took a step back to look at her. One of her hands was fisted against her mouth while the other curled itself around her stomach. He didn't want to leave her here alone but knew that the rest of the group would be wondering what happened if he didn't return.

When he started to walk towards the front door, his eyes glanced at the small shrine on the side of the room. He recognized the picture of Orihime's brother Sora but when his eyes went over to the other framed picture beside it he gasped. Scribbled on a piece of paper was a picture of what was undoubtedly Ulquiorra Schiffer. He stared at the shrine, confused as to why his friend would have drawn a picture of their enemy and placed it in such a highly regarded place in her room.

Closing the door behind him he decided he would come back immediately after school.

XxXxXxX

A few hours later, Orihime opened her eyes and looked around her apartment in confusion. 'How had she gotten here?' she wondered.

Her hands moved to her face and she rubbed her eyes to clear the blurriness. She felt a strange sensation pull on her chest and her hands instinctively reached down to press against the site. Taking a few deep breaths, Orihime pushed herself up and leaned against the back of the sofa. Her heart seemed to thud loudly in her chest and she listened to the steady rhythm as she felt herself relaxing.

When she finally felt strong enough to stand up, she pushed herself off of the couch and walked slowly across the room. She knelt down in front of her small shrine and hung her head as thoughts started to stream through her mind for her lost companions.

XxXxXxX

Back in Las Noches, Ulquiorra finally found his own rooms and stopped to stand in the center. He stared out through the large window and watched the unchanging moonlit sky. The tugging at his chest seemed to grow more intense with every passing second. His thoughts wandered to the last moments before his body had crumbled away. The woman's large silver eyes filled his entire vision as he reached towards the light coming from her. He'd never seen it coming. The whole time she had been his captive he never realized that it was she who had been claiming the others soul; not the reverse. It wasn't till the last moment that he was able to see it finally. His body had yearned to touch the warmth just once before he floated away into the wind. When her hand had lifted to touch his, he had finally understood everything she had spoken to him during her captivity.

Something registered in his brain when these thoughts started to tumble over themselves. His body started pulsing with a need to act on his thoughts and he found his legs moving rapidly out of his room and back towards the throne room. Upon entering, he found Halibel seated in the same spot as earlier with the same crowd of people surrounding her. He noticed the momentary shock that spread across her face at his appearance but he ignored it as he walked steadily to stand in front of her.

"Can you open a garganta for me? I don't seem able to do it myself anymore," he asked.

Halibel's mouth opened slightly and she took a steadying breath before she answered, "Of course. I'm assuming you want to go to that human town Aizen had been so interested in."

Ulquiorra nodded his head and took a step back as the blonde haired beauty rose from her seat and walked towards him. She stopped a few steps in front of him and silently opened the passageway. With a quick word of thanks, Ulquiorra stepped through and never looked back.

On the other side, Ulquiorra found himself in the same park he had gone to when he had first entered the living world. His eyes traveled over the lush green grass and brightly colored trees. A flowery fragrance filled his nose and he took a deep breath, absorbing the new sensation. Immediately he noticed the pull on his chest grow stronger. His feet instinctively started to move across the field as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. When he happened upon a young couple with a small child skipping beside them he was momentarily taken aback when their eyes rested on his form and the small child waved happily at his stunned face. He watched the smiling kid turn and start skipping in the other direction when he didn't return the gesture.

It became obvious after several more people who passed him acknowledged his presence that he was no longer invisible to people with no spiritual pressure. 'Was he human?' he wondered.

XxXxXxX

Orihime lifted her head after saying a few last prayers. When she stood up to get herself a glass of water, her body seemed to jerk itself to the side. She stopped where stood and stared at the door on the other side of the room. Without thought she grabbed the knob and opened the door, closing it firmly behind her. Her legs guided her across the street and she started walking down the sidewalk hurriedly. When a path on the right opened up to a large metal archway she walked underneath and entered the Karakura City Park. Her heart started beating faster and faster as she walked deeper into the park. She approached a fork in the path and turned her head from one path to the other. Something told her to leave the path and walk forward. After climbing a small hill, she froze in place when she spotted a familiar figure walking between two trees, their branches hindering a full view of the form.

Ulquiorra walked between the two trees and stopped to stare up the hill. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened at the sight. The woman's fiery golden hair swung easily in the strong breeze in time with the grey uniform skirt. She was staring down at him with those huge silver eyes that he remembered so clearly and her body seemed to be rigidly tense. He took a step forward and watched her lift her hand to her chest. When he took another step forward her hand started to slowly reach out in front of her. His steps quickened and soon he was only a few feet away. He lifted his own hand and slowly his fingers touched hers.

His fingertips slid between her warm ones and wound themselves together. The beating in his chest thudded so loudly in his ears he would swear she could hear it. He lifted his eyes from their connected hands to look at her upturned face. She stared back at him, her mouth open slightly as her eyes traveled over his face. Then, the most amazing thing happened. The corners of her mouth turned up just slightly and lifted into a shy smile. His whole body seemed to vibrate from within. His fingers trembled and her smile turned instantly into a look of concern.

"Ulquiorra…," Orihime finally spoke when the air returned to her lungs. She looked into his confused green eyes and spoke his name again.

After what seemed like a lifetime of silence, Ulquiorra finally answered, "Onna."

He took another step forward and their hands fell between them. Their skin rubbed against each others for a brief instant, sending sparks up both of their arms before parting. Orihime had never considered Ulquiorra to be a very large man. Compared to some of the other Espada he seemed rather small but with him standing so close to her she realized just how much taller he was than her. His black hair waved gently in the breeze and Orihime lifted her gaze to watch as locks of raven silk fell over his face. She wanted to raise her hand and brush back those strands but stopped herself after her hand twitched slightly upwards.

"W-What… How are you… here?" Orihime stuttered while asking.

Ulquiorra shrugged his surprisingly broad but lean shoulders. He reached a hand up to his chest and slid his fingers up towards his collarbone. Orihime's eyes followed his movements and when his finger made a circle over his skin her eyes widened and darted up to look into his. The air escaped her lungs as she gazed into his emerald orbs and watched as a look of complete helplessness covered his face.

Without hesitation, Orihime smiled widely and held her hand out towards him. She waited with arm outstretched for a few moments while Ulquiorra slowly raised his own hand and linked it to hers. She smiled again and started tugging him back across the field to the path. He kept himself a step behind the woman as she led him out of the park.

Orihime opened the door to her apartment and closed it quietly after Ulquiorra passed through. She released his hand and turned to face him. "You can stay with me. I'll take care of you now."

Ulquiorra couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. When did he earn any sort of compassion? He had come here because he hadn't had any choice. His body had led the way and now he stood before the woman whom he had treated so horribly when it had been his order to take care of her. He didn't deserve the warm smiles she kept giving him as he stood there, trying to understand her.

"Onna I couldn't…" Ulquiorra began to say before he felt soft fingers press against his lips.

"Shhh, don't worry. It'll be fine. You'll see," said Orihime as she turned and walked deeper into the room.

A sudden wave of excitement rushed through her as she skipped to the kitchen and started pouring out two glasses of juice. She handed one over to him and then took a long sip from her own glass.

Ulquiorra lifted the glass to his lips and sipped at the strangely sweet liquid. His lips puckered and his tongue darted out to slide across his lower lip to lap up the last drop. Orihime smiled at him nervously while she watched him and finally she asked, "Well, do you like it?"

He lifted his eyes and said, "It is acceptable."

Orihime giggled and then started when she heard a knock on her door. She walked around Ulquiorra and opened the door slowly just a sliver to look at whoever it was.

"Inoue? Can I come in?" a familiar voice asked from outside. Ulquiorra scanned his memory to put a face to the voice and spiky orange hair came to mind.

"Uh… just a second Kurosaki-kun," replied Orihime nervously. She quickly closed the door and placed her hands on Ulquiorra's back, shoving him forward across the room and down the hall. They came to a stop inside a small room and Orihime said, "Just stay here. I'll come get you as soon as I can get rid of him."

He watched the voluptuous figure leave the room and close the door behind her. He stared at his surroundings and noted the colorful knickknacks and stuffed animals that crowded the small space. Her narrow bed was tucked into the far corner underneath a large window with white curtains that had little pink hearts. Shortly after, he could hear voices outside the door.

"Come on in. Thanks for bringing me home before. I feel much better now," he heard the woman say with a touch of nervousness still tingeing her voice.

"Are you sure? You didn't seem very well earlier," the male voice asked.

"Yes yes I'm fine. You didn't have to come here and check on me. It's nice of you though," said the woman.

Ichigo looked at Orihime's nervous face and he knew there was something still bothering her. She seemed better though physically at least.

"You sure you don't want my dad to check you out Inoue?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh no that's not necessary. I feel great actually," Orihime answered while scratching the back of her head. "Umm… I'll see you at school tomorrow?" she asked, hoping he would leave before she wasn't able to hide the fact that she was hiding a man who had tried to kill him once in her bedroom.

Ichigo looked at Orihime's blushing face and shook his head in confusion. She was the strangest girl."Uh, ok. I'll see you tomorrow then," he said before turning and opening the door.

Orihime watched her former crush leave her apartment and she sighed in relief when the door finally closed behind him. She sprinted down the hall and opened the door to her room. Standing exactly where she had left him was Ulquiorra whose eyes stared back into hers.

"Sorry about that. Probably wouldn't be a great idea for the two of you to see each other… at least not yet," said Orihime.

Ulquiorra silently agreed with her and waited while she played nervously with the hem of her shirt.

"Well, are you hungry?" she asked.

Ulquiorra didn't know what it meant to feel hungry. He'd had no need to eat while he lived in Las Noches. The hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach though gave him some indication.

"I think so," he answered, receiving a warm smile from the woman before she turned and left the room. He followed her out and then watched as she started grabbing things from the large white appliance.

"Unfortunately I have a final tomorrow so I'm going to have to study after I finish making us something to eat," Orihime said while depositing a pile of stuff onto the counter.

His eyes followed her as she scurried around the small kitchen, throwing things into this pot and that pot and chopping other things up. He was transfixed by her movements. She seemed to know precisely what she was doing though he had no clue. "What are you doing Onna?" he asked as he watched her pour yet another pile of stuff into a bubbling pot.

She turned her head at his question and answered, "I'm making us dinner. Did you want something different?"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and said, "I have never tasted food so I wouldn't know the difference. This can't possibly be how humans feed themselves though. Most people would rather starve, I believe, than do all of this just for one meal."

"Oh yes you're probably right but I enjoy cooking so I like to do everything from scratch and I like mixing lots of different ingredients for added flavor," she said as she grabbed two bowls from the cupboard and started ladling some strange green concoction into both. When both bowls were brimming with the lumpy mixture, Orihime grabbed them and walked over to a small table in the corner. She placed a bowl on either side of the table and took a seat after motioning for him to do the same on the other side.

Ulquiorra did as she asked and sat staring at the bowl in front of him which was letting off a strange odor. He wasn't familiar with any type of human food so he wasn't able to distinguish any of the smells assaulting his senses. From the other side of the table, Orihime watched in eager anticipation as Ulquiorra stared at her masterpiece. After a full minute passed and he still hadn't touched the food she sighed and asked, "Well are you going to eat it? It's not that bad."

Ulquiorra moved his green eyes from the bowl to the woman in front of him. "You first."

"Oh but I wanted to see your reaction," she huffed.

He just stared at the woman, eyes narrowing from her words and watched as eventually she grabbed the two thin sticks that lay beside the bowl and started shoveling in the green food. He picked up the two sticks in front of him and tried to mimic the way her fingers held on to them. When he dipped them into the bowl of food one of them slid out of his grasp and landed in the warm liquid.

Orihime watched his actions and repressed a giggle that wanted to escape. Finally after many attempts, the man across from him got his first successful mouth full of food. She watched his face as he slowly chewed and then swallowed. "Well…?"

Without lifting his eyes from the task before him he responded, "It will do."

With a large smile Orihime dug into the rest of her food and sighed with delight when she was all finished.

**Ok, I know this is a really bad place to end the chapter but I have to go out and I won't be able to continue until tomorrow so I didn't want to make anyone wait any longer. More to come tomorrow!**

**Thanks for the lovely reviews! I truly appreciate every one I get.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Orihime watched as the man in front of her took his last bite of food. It was very strange watching him eat; like watching a child trying to copy their parents in order to appear more grown up. His slender fingers fumbled with the utensils quite often in the beginning but by the end he seemed to have figured out how to use them correctly. It was pretty easy for her to assume that he had never eaten before. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable though so every bubble of laughter that wanted to escape from her lips she held back and waited patiently while he methodically learned the proper way to eat.

Standing up, Orihime reached down and grabbed both her bowl and Ulquiorra's then placed them in the sink. She knew he was watching her movements, trying to figure out what normal protocol was after finishing a meal. After she rinsed each bowl out she placed them on the counter to dry and then looked up to say, "I better go check my mail. I'll be right back."

Ulquiorra watched the woman practically skip out of her apartment and disappear through the door. Less than a minute later she reappeared with a handful of white paper which she deposited on the table where she had just finished eating. She started sifting through the stack and picked one out with a squeal of delight slipping through her lips.

"My aunt wrote me! Usually she just sends me emails. I wonder why she sent a letter this time," Orihime said while ripping the side of the envelope and pulling the thin piece of paper out.

Her eyes scanned the paper and Ulquiorra couldn't help but be fascinated by the multitude of expressions that crossed her face as her eyes moved rapidly back and forth over the letter. When her eyes stopped moving he watched her hand, which still held the paper, fall to the table and her eyes rounded in what he assumed was shock. Then, a huge smile formed on her face and she jumped up from the seat, running across the room and pushing a button on some black electronic device. The flat screen in front of her came to life with a flash of colorful light and Orihime started sliding some small object beside her on the table.

"Ulquiorra, come here for a minute," Orihime asked without taking her eyes from the screen.

Lifting himself from the hard wooden seat, Ulquiorra walked over to where the woman was sitting and stood behind her. He stared at the screen in front of her and saw a picture of extremely tall, grey buildings rising into a blue sky. With a quick movement of her hand, the picture disappeared and another picture popped up on the screen. This one revealed a large sandy beach with a huge wooden boardwalk. Scrolling to the next picture was a large historic looking mansion on top of a mountain with a small lake beside it.

Another squeal erupted from the woman in front of him and she turned her excited face to look back at him. "My aunt gave me tickets to New York for my graduation present!" She rose from the seat and hopped back over to the table to pick up the letter. She scanned the page again and then moved across the room to take a seat on her large sofa. Her eyes stared unseeing and Ulquiorra could tell she was deep in thought.

Orihime looked down at the letter again and started mumbling out loud a bunch of names while ticking them off on fingers. "Tatsuki… no, she couldn't go. She's too busy with work at the dojo. Ishida-kun… his father would never let him do something like that. Chad…" she shook her head and continued, "Kurosaki-kun… Rukia would be way too upset." Her head kept shaking over and over until finally she looked up and glanced at Ulquiorra nervously.

"Um- Ulquiorra… have you ever been to New York?" Orihime asked.

"What is New York?"

A large smile spread across her face as she answered, "It's a city in… well… it's a state… erm, it's a city and a state in the United States. My aunt gave me two tickets to go there and um… I was wondering if you would want to come with me."

Ulquiorra watched as a pink hue overtook the woman's face and then shook his head.

Orihime frowned and asked, "Why not? You've never been there. Don't you wanna see it?"

Ulquiorra shook his head again and frowned when he saw the woman's shoulders sag and a sad look overtake her face. She started folding the paper in her hands over and over while her thoughts wandered again. With a sigh, Ulquiorra asked, "What will I have to do?"

A small smile played at the edges of the woman's mouth as she said, "You won't have to do anything really. It's mostly just a bunch of walking around and sightseeing."

He remembered the pictures she had shown him and he said, "You can see buildings here."

Orihime laughed and said, "Yea you're right but New York City is famous. Plus there are other things to do there as well."

"Why can't you take one of your friends? Why ask me?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Well, everyone else is either busy or just, well… it wouldn't be a good idea if they came. And it's kind of a sign don't you think? I mean, you show up today after over a year and a half and it just so happens that today I receive the letter from my aunt with the tickets," stated Orihime.

"I don't believe in 'signs'," said Ulquiorra with a frown.

"Yea, of course you don't. But I do so please please come with me? I promise it will be a lot of fun."

Ulquiorra continued to frown down at the woman. Her silver eyes were alight with excitement and anticipation as she looked up at him and something inside of him just couldn't let her down. He finally nodded his head and then stood back as the woman jumped from the couch and started bouncing around the room.

"We're going to New York!" the bouncing woman exclaimed over and over. Eventually she stopped and brought the paper back up to her face. She walked across the room and grabbed her small phone from her bag and started dialing.

Ulquiorra sat on the tan sofa and listened to Orihime's half of the conversation. "Hi! I was supposed to call this number to claim my vacation tickets. Inoue, I-N-O-U… yea Orihime. Umm, Ulquiorra… err, can you hold on a second?" The woman turned back to look at him and asked, "What's your last name?"

Ulquiorra grunted and said, "Schiffer."

Turning back, Orihime spoke into the phone, "Schiffer, S-C.. yep, that's right. Uh, yea he's a gentleman I guess. It leaves this weekend?! 9 days! Oh I'm so excited. Yes yes, no problem. Thank you so much!" and she pressed a button on the phone and laid it down on the table beside her. She turned to look at Ulquiorra and smiled hugely. A strange sensation pressed against his chest and he wondered at its source.

Orihime glanced at the clock on the side of the room and gasped, "Oh goodness I've completely lost track of time. I still have to study for my last test tomorrow."

The woman started digging through a large sack and pulled out several books before plopping herself on a soft chair in the corner. She flipped through the pages and then looked up at Ulquiorra who still sat on the sofa. "You can watch TV if you want."

Ulquiorra shook his head and sat back. He felt completely exhausted from the day's events, a feeling he'd never experienced before. His arms felt like lead had been poured into his bones and it seemed to take an extreme amount of effort to just simply keep his head up. After several minutes of watching the woman flip through pages and stopping every once in a while to gaze intensely at the words, he felt his eyelids start to fall down. It felt like someone had tied weights to his eyelashes and he struggled to keep them open. 'What was wrong with him?' he wondered.

From the corner of her eye, Orihime watched as the man on the sofa started to slowly slide down the back of the couch. His eyelids kept bobbing up and down and she just had to laugh at the sight. Luckily he didn't seem to notice her laughter and a few seconds later his entire body slumped to the side and he fell down onto the sofa. Orihime quietly placed her books to the side and stood up. She reached down and grabbed Ulquiorra's legs and lifted them up to lay his body completely on the sofa. He still wore the characteristic Espada shoes but she didn't dare try to remove them. She unfolded a throw blanket that had been draped over the arm of the sofa and carefully laid it over him.

Orihime took a step back and looked down at the sleeping form. She was shocked by how innocent his features looked. The hard line of his lips was softer now and it was hard to imagine that he had once scared her so much. She couldn't help but notice how perfect his pale skin was. His cheeks no longer had the tear marks running down them and the contrast of the jet black hair against the extremely pale skin was remarkable.

She finally turned around to get back to studying and when she sat back down in her chair she heard a loud snort come from the couch. A steady stream of snores followed and Orihime giggled quietly to herself.

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra awoke the next morning to soft fingers pressing against his chest. He opened one eye to see the woman leaning over him and he quickly jumped up and pressed his back as far into the cushion as he could. She smiled at him warmly and took a step back as she threw her bag over her shoulder.

"I have to go to school now. I'll be back as soon as I'm done with the test which shouldn't take too long. We'll go shopping afterwards and get some stuff for the trip," she said while she watched Ulquiorra run a hand over his face. "Feel free to eat whatever you want and the bathroom is just down the hall over there." She pointed towards the hallway and then continued, "I left some clothes in there for you to change into if you wanted to take a shower. They were my brother's old clothes and I think you should fit into them pretty well." She turned and started walking to the front door and said over her shoulder, "Cya later!"

Ulquiorra watched the door close and he sat for a few minutes trying to absorb the situation. He was sitting in Orihime Inoue's house. He had just regained consciousness from some weird slumber and his body felt groggy and slow. His fingers reached up to his head and ran through the strands of hair, passing over it unhindered and finding it strange to not run into his helmet. He brought the same hand down to his chest and felt the smooth skin beneath. 'This was going to take some getting used to he thought.'

With a grunt, he lifted himself off of the couch; noting the pink blanket that had been covering him and wondered where it had come from. He decided to skip over the whole eating thing, knowing that he had no clue what was actually edible and what was not so he walked straight to the bathroom and walked inside. Just as the woman had said, a neat pile of clothing was sitting on the counter next to the sink and he turned to look at the shower in the corner. It was much smaller than the one he used in Las Noches but it would do. He quickly stripped out of his uniform and started fumbling with the knobs. Out of habit he turned the cold knob to full blast and stepped in. He quickly jumped back out and threw his arms around his body. It was freezing! He used to enjoy his cool showers in Las Noches but apparently he didn't enjoy them anymore. He shut off the cold water and rapidly turned the hot water on. This time he tested the water first with his fingers and then turned the cold knob a small amount until the water felt like the right temperature. He stepped back in and let his body absorb the warmth spreading over his body. The water formed rivers down his chiseled body as it slid over his chest and abs. His inky black hair clung to the side of his face and neck as he leaned his head forward and allowed the stream of water to fall onto the back of his neck.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings for some soap. Sitting in the corner was several bottles, all lined up in a row and each with flowers painted on them. He reached for the closest one and read '_Lavender Scented Body Wash'_.

'Body wash', he thought. 'That sounded right.' So he quickly lathered himself up with the soapy liquid and squirted more into his hair. He rinsed the smelly soap off of him and turned the knobs till the water stopped streaming out of the spout.

His eyes darted around the room until he saw a pile of towels folded on a nearby table. He grabbed the top towel and quickly went about drying himself. When most of the droplets had disappeared he lifted his arm and sniffed, he still smelled like the soap. His nose wrinkled in distaste and he jumped back into the shower and turned the water back on. He rubbed at his skin until it was red and then exited the shower again. After drying, he again lifted his arm and sniffed. He still smelled like the soap. He gave up and decided to just get dressed.

Grabbing the top item from the pile the woman had left him; he held out the piece of clothing and frowned. He thought it looked like a pair of pants but they were so strange looking. There seemed to not be enough fabric and it was so stiff he couldn't imagine being comfortable in them. He slid his leg through one hole and then stepped into the other with his other leg. When he slid the pants up he looked down at the strange metal button and ridges that lined the opening. After many attempts, he was able to slide the button into the slit on the other flap and then looked down at the gaping hole. 'This can't be right,' he thought. His fingers fumbled around until he found a strange metal piece that seemed to travel smoothly over the ridges. When he slid this piece up, he heard a weird noise and the opening started to close. He pulled it up as far as it would go and was pleased to see that there was no gaping hole anymore.

He grabbed the next item from the pile and quickly realized that this was a shirt. He slid the white fabric over his head and worked his arms through the narrow holes. Next he grabbed another item that looked like another shirt. He thought it strange that she'd left two shirts but this one was different. It had a row up buttons up the center and the top had a crisp collar. He put the shirt on but the fabric stretched too tightly over his chest and shoulders. Shrugging out of the fabric, he folded it back up and set it down on the counter. The next thing was a pair of socks which was easy enough to figure out and a pair of brown leather shoes. He stared down at the strips of leather that wound itself over the top of the shoe and frowned. 'What was he supposed to do with that?' he wondered. He decided to forgo the shoes and exited the bathroom in just socks.

As he walked back into the living area his stomach made a strange rumbling sound. He placed his hand over his stomach and looked over at the small kitchen. 'This feeling must be hunger,' he thought to himself. He didn't dare attempt to make himself something though so he took a seat on the same sofa he had slept on the previous night and waited.

XxXxXxX

Orihime nearly ran home in her excitement. School was finally over and tomorrow she was going on vacation!

The nostalgia that a lot of her friends were feeling that day didn't make sense to her. Just because they were graduating didn't mean they wouldn't be friends anymore. It had taken her longer than she had wanted to leave the school after the test. Her friends kept grabbing her for long hugs but eventually she'd been able to sneak away.

When she opened to door to her apartment, Ulquiorra was sitting calmly on the sofa. He wore the white undershirt she had left him along with the dark jeans. She noticed he didn't have the other shirt on and she decided to ask him while she put her stuff down, "What happened to the other shirt? Did you not like it?"

Ulquiorra watched the woman and replied, "The shirt with all the buttons did not fit. I left it in the room with the shoes."

"Oh ok. Too big or too small?" she asked.

"I believe it was too small," was his short answer.

"Did the shoes not fit either?" she asked.

Ulquiorra shook his head and said, "Those shoes are too complicated. I will wear the ones from my uniform."

Orihime giggled and walked down the hallway. She came back out to the living room a minute later with a different shirt in her hands and the same pair of shoes dangling from her fingertips. Kneeling in front of him, her hands reached out and grasped one of his feet. Ulquiorra pulled his foot away and stared down at the woman like she had lost her mind. Orihime stared up at him with a worried frown and then said, "Let me show you how to put them on. It's really simple, I promise."

"No," he answered tersely.

"Oh don't be such a baby," she said and reached for his foot again. He quickly moved his foot around every time she grabbed at him but eventually she caught him and wrapper her fingers tightly around his ankle.

"Onna," he said angrily and she released his foot and leaned back onto her heels.

"Fine. Do it yourself then and I'll tell you what to do."

Ulquiorra grabbed the shoe from her hands and slid his foot inside. He stared at the leather strips again and then reached out to grab them. As soon as his fingers touch a lace the woman said, "Ok now imitate what I do."

He watched as the woman demonstrated on her own shoe and he copied her movements. A minute later he had an exact replica of bow and looked down at his foot, pleased with the results.

Orihime smiled and congratulated him. It was so strange helping him with things like that. He was like an overgrown child.

His face contorted in annoyance when she congratulated him and he glared icily over at her.

"Here, try this on," Orihime said while holding out a black button up shirt with the same starched collar that the other shirt had had. He stood up from the couch and slid his arms through the holes. Just as last time, the material stretched tightly over his chest and shoulders and the woman said, "Oh I see. Ok well we'll just have to get you a few shirts then today."

Orihime walked across the room and said as she disappeared down the hallway, "I'll be right back. I just need to change real quick."

A few minutes later, she emerged from her room in a tight fitting pink t-shirt and white shorts. Ulquiorra couldn't help but notice the small patch of skin that peaked out between her shorts and the bottom of her shirt. He shifted his weight uncomfortably from one leg to the other and tried to keep his eyes focused on something else.

"All right, let's go! We can stop and get something to eat on the way," Orihime said and Ulquiorra's stomach rumbled in gratitude.

XxXxXxX

When evening started to approach, Orihime and Ulquiorra walked into the small apartment with very different opinions on how the shopping trip went. Orihime seemed to have picked up steam throughout the day, getting more and more excited after every store they went in whereas Ulquiorra felt himself growing exhausted as the day went by.

Ulquiorra threw the pile of bags onto the floor in the center of the room which Orihime had coaxed him into carrying for her and then flopped onto the cozy chair.

"You're such a typical guy," said Orihime as she started rifling through all the bags and pulling one thing after another out.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow in question at her statement and asked, "Am I supposed to be something else?"

She laughed as she said, "No I guess not. Almost all men hate shopping. I'll never understand why."

Orihime got up from the floor and walked out of sight, down the hallway. A moment later she poked her head around the corner and asked, "Wanna come help me pack?"

Ulquiorra pushed himself off the warm cushions and heard the woman say, "Can you grab the bags on your way?" He grabbed the bags and then followed the woman down the hallway and into her small bedroom. She motioned for him to take a seat on her bed and then started grabbing handfuls of clothing from her closet. After she unzipped the first bag she started piling the clothes inside. "This will be your suitcase," she said as she reached for the bags that contained the purchases from the day. Ulquiorra suppressed a groan as he watched her pull out a pair of black swim trunks; the memory of his horrible experience trying them on flashing back in his mind. She had forced him to try everything on that she piled into his arms and insisted that she observe every article before he was allowed to change back. The swim trunks had been particularly aggravating because she had demanded that he get a pair that fit snugly on his hips whereas he preferred ones that gave him a little more room. She'd used the excuse that they would fall off in the water if they didn't fit perfectly.

With a loud ZIPPPP, Orihime closed the suitcase which was supposed to be his and then started grabbing more clothes from her closet and dressers. Ulquiorra watched as she piled more and more clothes into the bag and then jumped up and left the room. She came back with an armful of bottles and boxes and dropped them into a side pocket of the suitcase. After stacking up the last piece of clothing, Orihime kneeled on the ground in front of the suitcase, grabbed the zipper and started tugging it. The tip of her tongue darted out while she pushed the top flap down and jerked on the zipper. Eventually she got up and sat down on top of the suitcase then slid the zipper closed easily. She smiled brightly up at him with her accomplishment and stood up.

"Did you really need to pack so much stuff?" he asked.

She looked up at him as if she had just been insulted and huffed, "I need to be ready for any situation." She looked at the two bags and then asked, "Can you help me bring these to the other room?"

Ulquiorra stood up and grabbed both bags and headed out the door.

"Oh no, you didn't have to carry both. I can take one," exclaimed Orihime.

He just ignored her and continued down the hallway and placed the two bags by the front door.

"Thanks," Orihime said shyly. Her hand reached up and scratched the back of her head as her eyes looked around the room. He'd come to realize in the short time in her presence that this gesture meant that she was nervous about something. "Uh, let me get you some pajamas. I'll be right back."

He watched her retreating figure as it left the room and when she came back she had a pair of thin dark green pants in her hand. She handed the piece of clothing over to him and said, "You can change in the bathroom."

Orihime busied herself while Ulquiorra was in the other room changing. She took a seat in front of her computer and started scrolling through the itinerary for their trip. First stop was New York City where they would stay at the Westin Hotel near Times Square. They would be there for 3 days. Next would be a train ride north into the Adirondack Mountains where they would stay at the Mohonk Mountain House for another 3 days. Finally they would take the train back through the city and hop onto another train which would take them across Long Island to Montauk, NY. Everything looked so wonderful and she felt excitement bubble up in her stomach.

When she heard footsteps coming down the hall she turned with a smile still stretching across her face and then froze at the sight before her. Her mouth dropped and she felt her face heat up. Ulquiorra walked into the room with only the pair of pants on that she had given him and the rest of his clothes neatly folded in his arm. The dark green cotton pants hung so low on his hips that she could see the outline of muscle angling downward from his hips to a very private area where it thankfully disappeared behind the elastic waistband. His sculpted abs moved slowly in and out with every breath and she found herself licking her lips and swallowing large amounts of saliva as she stared at them.

A low voice interrupted her thoughts and she quickly snapped out of her daze and looked up at his face. "Where should I put these?" he asked, indicating the stack of clothing in his hands.

"Erm- just put them over there for now. You can wear them again tomorrow for the flight," said Orihime while pointing to an empty spot on the table. Then she added; "You uh, can wear the white undershirt that you were wearing earlier to bed if you want. I didn't give you a pajama shirt because I figured you would just wear that."

Ulquiorra watched Orihime's face turn red and wondered what had caused her to blush. It couldn't possibly be from his bare torso. She couldn't be that innocent. He put down his clothes and grabbed the white shirt, pulling it over his head and straightening it over his body.

"Ok well, I'm gonna go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow," and she quickly scurried out of the room leaving Ulquiorra alone.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm just going to make this easy on myself and just have you assume that there is no language barrier. It would be awfully complicated since they've been speaking English this whole time… sorta lol. **

**Chapter 4**

"It's time to get up!" said Orihime enthusiastically as she pushed on Ulquiorra's blanket covered shoulder. She pushed again when a low grunt answered her cheery statement.

Orihime took a step back when the figure turned slowly from his side to lie on his back. His eyes opened slowly and stared darts at her while he lifted himself into a sitting position. She had to cover her mouth when a giggle threatened to escape her lips after viewing the mess of hair on his head. Clumps of black stuck out in the strangest angles and draped over his forehead, causing her to want to reach out and smooth the mess but she luckily had enough sense to resist.

"You better hurry or we'll miss the flight," she explained as she skipped away and started making their breakfast.

Ulquiorra slowly got to his feet and picked up the pile of clothes he had worn yesterday then headed to the bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later, freshly bathed and smelling of flowers again. He was starting to doubt the effectiveness of the woman's soap as he ran his fingers through his damp hair which felt like straw.

He watched the woman place two steaming plates of food down on the table and he took a seat where he had the other night. The food felt strange on his tongue but the ache in his stomach lessened after every bite so he continued to eat until his plate was empty. Like he had watched her do the other night, Ulquiorra picked up his plate and then leaned over to pick up hers as she stood up and reached down to grab her own. She looked up at him abruptly when he slid the plate out from under her hand and continued walking into the kitchen. He deposited the plates into the sink and started cleaning them off.

"Thank you," Orihime said as she watched him pour soap on the sponge. She glanced over at the clock and exclaimed loudly, 'Oh gosh, we have to go!" She ran over to the door and slid on her sandals then motioned for Ulquiorra to put his shoes on as well. It took him a minute to remember how to tie the laces but he figured it out eventually and then stood up to grab the two bags.

They both left the house and Orihime locked up before they started walking towards the corner where they would catch the bus that would take them to the airport. When their luggage was stored overhead and they took their seats, Orihime's thoughts started to wander over the course of the last few days. She couldn't believe she was sitting next to Ulquiorra who was accompanying her on her vacation. The past year and a half she had spent thinking about her time in Las Noches which meant that most of the time she was thinking about him. She had mourned his death. It was strange, she thought, that she had become so attached to him in the short time she had spent in Las Noches but there had been something undeniably powerful between them that she couldn't deny. They were complete opposites she knew, but that was probably what fascinated her about him. Where she giggled and laughed easily, he grew impassive and cool. Their conversations had always been complicated and intense but she valued the opportunity he gave her to express her opinion even though he didn't believe a word of what she said. At least he tried though unlike most of her friends who seemed to laugh her off like she was a complete ditz and who didn't know what she was talking about. Now here she was, heading halfway across the world with the man who had once kidnapped her and shrugged her off as trash to be disposed of. 'Life was strange,' she thought to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the bus driver announcing that they were at their stop. They exited the bus and entered the terminal where they received their tickets and headed towards their gate. When they finally found their gate and walked onto the plane, they found their seats and Orihime let Ulquiorra have the window seat since this was his first time on a plane. He didn't seem to care either way but she let him anyway. The row had a third seat and she hoped that no one was assigned there so she could spread out during the flight.

One by one Orihime watched the passengers as they took their seats. Finally she watched the stewardess close the door and lock up. The third seat was still empty.

Orihime lifted the armrest between her and the empty seat and quickly shimmied over. "Are you excited?" Orihime asked as she looked over at Ulquiorra.

"I don't believe that me being excited was part of the deal for me coming," he stated and clicked his seatbelt together.

"That doesn't mean you can't be though. You get to see a whole different country. I wonder if I should have told anyone that I was going?" Orihime's eyes went distant as she thought about the fact that she hadn't let a single one of her friends know she was leaving. "Oh well. They'll figure it out I guess."

When Orihime felt the plane start to move from the gate she was practically bouncing in her seat in excitement. She looked over at Ulquiorra who sat nearly lifeless in his seat, staring out the window. Hopefully she hadn't made the wrong decision asking him to come.

A few minutes later, Ulquiorra watched as the ground beneath them started to pass by them faster and faster as the plane started moving quickly down a straight lane. A moment later, his stomach felt like it turned a flip and he could see the ground beneath growing more and more distant as they took off. This was not going to be good if this is what it felt like the whole trip. He turned his head and asked, "How long are we going to be on this thing for?"

"14 hours," Orihime answered with a smile.

Ulquiorra groaned and looked back out the window while Orihime continued, "But Japan is 13 hours ahead of New York so when we land it's going to be almost the same time in the morning that it is now. That's why I brought us sleeping pills so we won't be tired when we get there."

Orihime started digging through her bag and found the little bottle that contained the pills she just mentioned. She read over the instructions and then opened the bottle to pour out two little white capsules. She handed one over to Ulquiorra who stared at it in the palm of his hand like it was going to transform into a monster and attack him. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked.

Orihime pulled out a small bottle of water from her bag and unscrewed the top. She stuck the pill in her mouth and took a long swig, swallowing audibly and then smiling as she passed the bottle over to Ulquiorra. She sniffed when she leaned closer to him and turned questioning eyes to his. "Is that lavender?"

Ulquiorra ignored her and tried to mimic her moves and stuck the dry pill into his mouth and then took a large gulp. The pill caught in the back of his throat and he reflexively gagged, nearly spitting out the little bit of water he had yet to swallow. He finished the contents of the bottle and finally the small pill detached itself from his throat. Orihime reached over and grabbed the empty bottle from his hand and stuck it in the back of the seat in front of her.

"The stewardess will pick it up later," she said and leaned over slightly to see out the window. They were now floating above the clouds and there wasn't much to see anymore so she fell back in her chair and grabbed a book from her bag.

"I thought that pill was supposed to put us to sleep," said Ulquiorra.

"Oh it should but you need to give it time. It'll probably take 20-30 minutes to kick in," Orihime answered while she opened her book to an earmarked page and began to read.

Sure enough, 20 minutes later Ulquiorra felt his eyelids start to get heavy and within seconds his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep. The next thing he knew, there was an uncomfortable hardness pressed against his head and he opened his eyes to see that he had leaned over in his seat and fallen against the window of the plane. Another thing registered in his mind at that moment and that was the warmth that seemed to cover his left side. He opened his eyes and saw a bright blue blanket covering his body and resting against his shoulder was a pile of orangish-red hair. He looked down at the woman pressed against his side and tried to lean over to see her face. When he heard her take a deep breath he could tell she was still sleeping and he unclenched his hand that had been crushed between their bodies. The movement must have awoken her because she slowly lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. After a moment she realized the situation they were in and quickly shot up and moved back over to the far seat.

"Erm- Good Morning…" Orihime said as she scratched the back of her head and bit her lower lip.

Ulquiorra didn't bother to answer while he gathered the blanket off of himself and moved it over to the empty seat between them.

"I wonder what time it is," said Orihime who then started rummaging through her bag again. Not 10 seconds later the pilot came over the loudspeaker saying 'We will be beginning our decent into JFK airport. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts for landing.'

Orihime couldn't believe they had slept the entire flight. She was happy though since that meant they should have plenty of energy for the day's events. There was no need to find out the time anymore so she put the bag back down and clicked her seatbelt back into place.

Ulquiorra stared out the window and could vaguely make out large buildings towering into the sky in the distance. He assumed that that was New York City and a moment later the woman was leaning over him with her face nearly pressed against the window. Her body twisted over his, revealing a good portion of her skin on her back where her shirt rode up. Ulquiorra stared at her skin and noticed how perfectly smooth it looked. His hand itched and he clenched his fingernails into the palm of his hands. When she leaned slightly farther her chest bumped into the side of his arm and his breath stuck in his throat. Orihime froze at the contact and then quickly fell back into her seat while a blush formed on her cheeks. She noticed how stiff Ulquiorra was now sitting and thought he must have been really uncomfortable with her careless contact. Her face flushed even more.

They soon landed and started the journey to find their luggage. They grabbed their bags when they rode out on the metal conveyor belt and then started to search for the shuttle that was going to take them to their hotel. Orihime stopped to ask an employee walking down the hallway and the attendant pointed down the hallway a ways and told them to turn left after the elevators. Ulquiorra followed the woman and soon they were standing outside, loading their bags into a steal grey shuttle bus.

The shuttle pulled up to the front of the hotel and the two got out and stared up at the building. The hotel was massive and modern looking. The bottom few floors were covered with a golden metal and the rest of the building towered high in different shades of blue. When they walked inside they were greeted by a man in a strange looking uniform who seemed a bit overenthusiastic about taking their bags.

"I don't know what room we are in yet," Orihime said to the man.

"Well let's take care of that for you. Right this way ma'am," he said and motioned for them to walk across the large room to a long wooden desk. "Margie would you mind helping them find their reservation?"

"Sure thing," said the bubbly blonde who started rapidly typing on her keyboard and scanning the screen in front of her. "What's the reservation under?"

"Orihime Inoue," she answered.

Another few keystrokes and the lady smiled widely at the pair, "You are in room 1208. How many keys would you like?"

"Uh, two please," answered Orihime.

The lady handed over two plastic card keys while saying, "We have you booked for three nights. If you look over to your right you will see a kiosk with lots of brochures for different activities you can do in the city. I will be happy to help you with any questions you might have. Enjoy your stay!"

The bellhop who had been waiting through their check-in said, "I will take your luggage right up to your room for you. Please feel free to look around if you would like."

Orihime smiled and said thank you but then felt uncomfortable when the man hesitated before leaving. He looked like he had wanted something from her but for the life of her she didn't know what it could be. She decided to forget about it and started walking towards the kiosk that the lady had pointed out to her. Ulquiorra followed closely behind her and watched as the woman grabbed several brochures from the rack.

Orihime looked quickly at each one and then shoved them into her purse and turned to him. "Let's go see our room."

Orihime slid the key into the slot and watched as the little green light flashed and she heard a clicking sound. She opened the door and saw their two suitcases standing neatly inside. Then she froze in place, nearly causing Ulquiorra to walk right into the back of her.

He lifted his eyes in the direction she was staring and finally noticed the problem. There was only one bed. "Onna, you don't expect me to…"

Orihime cut him off and said, "No no there has to have been a mistake. Let me call the front desk."

She practically ran across the room and grabbed the phone. When the front desk clerk answered the phone she said, "I'm really sorry but there seems to be a mistake. I ordered a room with two beds and this room only has one."

The lady on the other end started bringing up their reservation and said, "I'm sorry Ms. Inoue. Your travel agent booked a room with a king size bed. Let me see if we have any other rooms available."

Orihime waited patiently while she listened to the rapid typing on the other end. Finally the sound stopped and she heard the woman's voice say, "I'm really sorry but all of our rooms are booked. The only thing left available is our Presidential Suite. You can upgrade to that for an extra $850 a night."

Orihime nearly stopped breathing when she heard the number. When she finally composed herself enough to speak she said, "Um, no thank you. This will be fine," And hung up the phone. She turned slowly to face Ulquiorra and scratched her head, not lifting her eyes to his face. "Uh, we're kind of stuck here. I'll sleep on the floor though. It will be fine."

Ulquiorra groaned and stared at the nervous woman in front of him. "I will sleep on the floor onna."

"Uh-ok well, let's not think about that right now. Let's look through these brochures and see what we wanna do today," she said and a small smile started to play on her pink lips. Ulquiorra was amazed at how quickly the woman was able to change her moods. One minute she could be biting her lip off in nervousness and then next she was bubbling with joy or excitement. It was confusing for someone who rarely felt any sort of emotion at all.

Ulquiorra walked over to the pile of brochures that Orihime was laying out on the crisp white blanket. Orihime pointed to one with a large pointy building on the cover and said, "Let's go to the Empire State Building today."

"Whatever you want onna," answered Ulquiorra though he had no idea what could be so fascinating about a big building.

Orihime sighed and tried to ignore his melancholy answer. She knew she shouldn't expect any sort of excitement from him but it was still disappointing to hear him seem so glum about it all. She reached down again and picked up another brochure. '_The World Famous Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant'_. That looked interesting she thought and stuffed the brochure back into her bag.

She left the rest of the brochures out on the bed and walked over to her suitcase and unzipped it. She rummaged through until she found a white dress with yellow flowers and walked into the beautiful white and lavender bathroom. "I'm going to change real quick. I'll be out in a second."

Ulquiorra waited for the woman and stared at his surroundings. He hadn't really been conscious of what he was doing when he had started to search for her while he was in Las Noches but ever since he'd found her the pull on his chest had disappeared. In its place though now was a constant awareness of where the woman was. It helped that she was usually nearby chattering away but the times that she wandered into a different room or the other day when she had gone to school he had been very aware of the distance between them. It was uncomfortable at first but he was slowly getting used to it.

Orihime emerged a minute later and Ulquiorra's eyes couldn't help but travel over her perfect body. The dress hung seductively over every curve and clung to just the right places which his green eyes lingered over longer than they should have.

"I believe you forgot your pants," he said and turned his gaze away from the woman.

Orihime giggled and said, "It's a dress silly. It's not even that short." She looked down at herself and became slightly self-conscious. The hem reached to mid-thigh so she knew it wasn't indecent and the lady at the store when she bought it had said it looked nice on her. She shrugged and walked over to grab her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

Ulquiorra nodded and followed her out of the room. She passed him one of the keys and he slid it inside his pocket as they walked down the hallway to the elevator. They stopped in the lobby on the way out and asked an attendant how to get to their destination. Orihime mentally ran over the directions they were given and then smiled as she thanked the guy before turning to leave. Ulquiorra watched the guys head swivel to the side and watch the woman with hungry eyes as she walked through the lobby to the front doors. He then noticed nearly every other man in the room turn their heads and watched her retreating form. Anger started to build up inside himself and he briskly walked across the room to follow the woman.

They passed by shop after shop along the crowded sidewalk. He watched as the woman's head gazed into each shop with curiosity but passed by them without stopping. When they came to a corner there was a silver cart with a bright yellow umbrella unfolded over it and a man with a large belly standing behind it speaking loudly to a customer as he handed a strange item over to the person. Orihime tugged on his arm and said, "Let's get a hotdog. I'm starving!"

Ulquiorra notice the ache in his stomach so he allowed the woman to drag him over to the cart.

"I'd like two hot dogs please and a coke," said Orihime in a slightly raised voice so that she could be heard over the noise.

"Wha' dya want on it?" the man asked as he reach inside an opening in the cart and started laying two long hotdogs over two buns.

"Um… everything!" she said and smiled. The man chuckled deep in his throat and started pouring on condiment after condiment onto one of the hotdogs. He passed one over to Orihime and she held it out to Ulquiorra who looked at the thing with terrified eyes. She turned back to the man and said, "Make the next one plain please."

He passed the plain hotdog over to Ulquiorra and then grabbed a can of soda and handed that over as well while Orihime dug into her wallet and handed some money over. She smiled and waved as she left.

Ulquiorra stared at his food, not knowing what he was supposed to do with it since there was nothing to eat it with. He watched the woman raise one of the sides to her mouth and took a large bite. She moaned in pleasure as she chewed and swallowed then looked at Ulquiorra. "It's delicious. Try yours."

He took a small bite and allowed himself to chew the strange substance for a few seconds before swallowing. "It's… acceptable."

"Bah! Everything is just 'acceptable' to you," she said, trying to imitate his low voice when she said acceptable. She failed miserably and he just stared at the strange woman. Was she mocking him? "Can you pass me the soda?"

Ulquiorra handed over the cold can and watched her flip a small metal piece up and the can popped open with a fizzing sound. She took a large gulp and handed the can back over to him.

They continued to walk down the street, weaving between people as they went. There seemed to be a strange mixture of people walking along the crowded sidewalks. Some seemed to be in an immense hurry as they barreled down the street while others walked incredibly slow, looking around them in wonder with camera's hung around their necks. When they turned a corner, Orihime pointed up and said, "That's the Empire State Building. It's so huge."

Ulquiorra looked up and had to agree with the woman. It certainly was a massive structure but he still didn't see what was so amazing that they needed to go visit it. They finished their hotdogs and passed the can of soda between them till it was empty. They threw their garbage into a nearby trash bin and then walked inside the lobby of the tall building. The lined marble floors led your eyes to the far wall where a beautiful mural of the building sat. They followed the signs to the observatory. Orihime handed over more money to the clerk and received two tickets and then were directed to a long line.

"Oh man, this line looks huge," groaned Orihime as she took her place at the back of the line.

Ulquiorra still couldn't fathom why so many people would want to visit a place like this but he stood silently by the woman and waited patiently. The line moved quickly to Orihime's delight and soon they found themselves ushered into a tight elevator with nearly a dozen other people. Orihime was pushed into the corner and nearly fell against Ulquiorra when a large lady bumped her. Ulquiorra caught her arm as she tripped and helped to steady her.

When the elevator finally stopped, Orihime let out a large breath and followed the crowd into the hallway. There they were forced to wait in yet another line but once again it was thankfully moving quickly.

They rounded a corner and she was finally able to see what the line was for. A large picture of the building was standing against a wall and a lady was busy taking photographs of people as they posed and then were quickly ushered away.

"They want to take our picture," she whispered to Ulquiorra.

He looked over at the scene she had been staring at and then turned his eyes back to the silver orbs in front of him. "What is a picture?"

"It's a… a memory that people can capture to help them remember it later," she explained. "We'll have to stand in front of that lady there," and she pointed to the thin lady with a large black camera hung around her neck, "and she will snap a photo really quick."

When it was their turn, Ulquiorra followed Orihime and stood beside her to face the lady. Orihime smiled brilliantly but then started to frown when the woman motioned for them to scoot closer together. She took a small step to the side until her shoulder brushed against his arm and then smiled again. The lady lifted her face from the camera with a frown and said, "Come on love birds. I don't have all day."

Orihime blushed profusely and shook her head. The lady didn't give her a chance to speak before she was ordering them to place their arms around the others back and lean together. Ulquiorra's hand felt like a hot brand on her back even though her dress blocked any direct skin contact.

Ulquiorra disliked the lady intensely and glared when she started pressing a button on the top of her camera. He didn't like people ordering him around and certainly not trash like her. The way Orihime's body felt against his side kept the anger from rising up and he was able to keep his mouth shut. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath but when they parted he exhaled audibly and followed her into an adjoining room.

On a large screen on the opposite wall as they walked in was an image of the two of them with the building rising up behind. Orihime laughed and walked forward to look at it more closely. Ulquiorra was a bit shocked to see himself standing beside the woman. He hadn't realized how much of a height difference there was between them but somehow it looked natural. Her curves seemed to fit perfectly against his side and her smile stole the whole image. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. Her mouth curved up warmly and the smile reached her eyes which made her look truly happy. The appearance was in stark contrast to the rigid face above hers that glared menacingly at them.

"I'll take one copy please," she said as she opened her purse yet again and handed more money to the gentleman behind the counter. Everything seemed to cost money here.

Orihime grabbed the bag as it was handed over to her and they exited the room and entered a large gift shop. The room was full of souvenirs but Orihime didn't seem interested in anything as she zigzagged her way through the racks and found a glass door on the side. She opened the door and held it open for Ulquiorra. They passed through and Ulquiorra sucked in his breath when he looked out in front of him. He couldn't believe the sight before his eyes. The view was spectacular. Surrounding hundreds of buildings was a large body of water that wrapped around the city. He felt a little dizzy as they walked closer to the railing and had to steady himself with a hand on the iron bars.

Orihime reached into her purse and pulled a pink camera out and started snapping dozens of photos in each direction. Ulquiorra watched her as she did this and was entranced by the sight of her hair whipping around in the strong wind. She kept having to reach down and adjust her dress that also kept flapping viciously against her slender thighs.

"Here, let me take a photo of you," she said while taking a step back and pointing the camera in his direction. The little machine flashed several times as he stared at her and then she placed the small device in his hands. "Look through this little hole and press this button here to take a picture."

Ulquiorra followed her instructions and took a photo of her as she stood in front of the railing with a huge smile.

They walked around for a while, silently observing the view until finally Orihime said, "Ok, I'm ready to go." He followed her back into the gift shop and they squeezed their way through the crowd to find the exit elevators. It didn't take nearly as long to leave as it had taken for them to come so soon they were walking back through the lobby and exiting the building.

Orihime reached inside her bag and pulled out the brochure for the restaurant. She wasn't hungry yet but she didn't know how far away it was so she opened it up and tried to figure out which way they would have to go from the mini map that was inside. It looked like it wasn't too far away so she decided they could walk around a bit as they headed there.

Ulquiorra's steps seemed to become sluggish as they walked into one shop after another. She knew he didn't enjoy this whole shopping thing so she decided to give him a break and started heading to the restaurant. Her stomach was starting to feel a little bit hungry now anyway so she figured it was a good time.

It took longer to get there than she had thought but they found the place easy enough. The outside was stunning with strange masks hanging off the side of the building and scary manikins lining the street. She felt excitement bubble up inside herself as she walked up to the black clad figure in front of the door.

In a voice even deeper than Ulquiorra's, the man asked how they would like to be served and Orihime answered unsurely, "Um, we'd like a table for two please."

In the same eerie deep voice the man said, "I didn't ask if you wanted a table. I asked you how you would like to be served."

Orihime stared at the man confused and the strange man continued, "We can boil you, fry you or throw you into a stew. Which would you prefer?"

She giggled when she realized what he was referring to and played along, "Hmm, I'll go with being thrown into a stew please."

Ulquiorra watched the dialogue between the two and didn't understand what was going on. He followed the woman anyway as they were ushered into a dark room and told to wait. A minute later another couple walked through the same door they had just passed through and then the door closed once again. That same strange voice started speaking and began telling a tale of a mad doctor who would transform into a crazed monster. A door creaked open at the end of his tale and the small group walked forward and entered into the dining area where they were greeted by a lady in a black and red witches costume with torn bits of fabric and netting hanging every which way.

"What do you want?" the lady asked with a sneer.

Orihime laughed and said, "I'd like a table for two please."

"Who do you think you are ordering me around like that? I'll show you a nice place to sit…" the lady said and turned to lead them down a bright red hallway with scary paintings lining the walls. In a whisper that was meant to be heard, the lady said "… nice place to sit in the dungeon." With a loud cackle the witch turned into a large room and weaved her way through several tables crowded with people. She slammed the menu's down on the table and walked away without a backwards glance.

Orihime took a seat on one side of the table and Ulquiorra joined her on the opposite side. He couldn't believe she was allowing them to speak to her like that so he couldn't help but ask, "Why do you let her treat you like that?"

The woman laughed and said, "It's an act. They are being rude on purpose. It's supposed to create a unique atmosphere."

Ulquiorra didn't quite understand how this was supposed to be entertaining but he went along with it. He opened the menu in front of him and scanned the pages. He didn't know what a single thing was and when a man in a rotted top hat and black bags under his eyes stood silently by their table he looked at Orihime and waited for her to speak first.

Orihime stared at the man standing beside them and after a few tense moments spoke up, "Uh, can I place my order with you?"

The man only held out his pad of paper and pen in answer. She took this as a sign to tell him her order and Ulquiorra said he would have the same thing when she was finished. Without a word, the man left their table and walked slowly through the aisle and vanished behind a beaded doorway.

Orihime turned her excited face to Ulquiorra and whispered, "Isn't this place neat? It's so different than any place I've ever been before."

Ulquiorra didn't agree but decided to keep his thoughts to himself. He was startled when a loud screeching noise rang out through the restaurant and he turned his head to see a rather frail looking girl in a white lacey dress running between the tables. She kept looking behind her and suddenly a man with a large bloody axe came running into the room with a significant limp hindering him. He snarled at the girl and ran towards her. The customers in the room started cheering and watched the scene unravel before them. The girl was caught a moment later by the axed man and in a brilliant show of smoke and mirrors lost her head over the bar counter.

Orihime cheered and clapped her hands along with the rest of the audience but when the axed man turned his eerie gaze towards her she froze. The axed man took slow, wobbly steps towards their table and Ulquiorra turned in his seat instinctively to place himself between the man and Orihime. A loud alarm sounded from the side of the room and the axe man turned anxious eyes to the ceiling and then scurried out of the room.

Orihime laughed nervously again and looked at Ulquiorra's steely gaze. "That was a bit scary wasn't it?"

Ulquiorra just continued to glare at her and lifted his arms from the table when a short older lady hobbled over to their table and practically dropped their plates in front of them. Without a word she left them and Orihime picked up the metal utensil beside her plate and started to dig in. As usual, Ulquiorra watched what she did and copied her movements. He found the metal prongs much easier to use than the wooden sticks he'd used at her apartment.

They finished their food quickly and Orihime enjoyed another show before paying the bill and rising from the table. When they stepped outside, the sky was dark but the streets were lit up by sidewalk lights and neon signs from the stores. "Let's walk around Times Square before we go back to the room." He didn't know what Times Square was so he just nodded his head and followed the woman down the street.

After several blocks, the lights became more intense and he could see a large billboard flashing brilliantly several different advertisements. Orihime pulled him along and stopped them right in the center of the square. He watched her raise her face skyward and spin around in a slow circle, trying to take in all of the sights. Ulquiorra found it all to be quite dizzying. The yellow cars whizzing by and the blinking lights everywhere unsettled him. When Orihime wobbled and fell back slightly, Ulquiorra caught her around the waist before she tumbled into the busy road. She clung to his arms and stared wide-eyed in his face with such a look of shock that he couldn't help but stare back. He placed her safely back on her feet and took a step back when the urge to constrict his arms around her small waist had threatened.

Orihime scratched the back of her head and said, "Thanks. I guess I need to be more careful."

Ulquiorra grunted in agreement and turned to look at the cars passing by. Orihime took a few more pictures and then stuffed her camera back into her bag. "Ok, I think I'm ready to go back to the hotel now. It's been a really long day and I'm exhausted."

Luckily the hotel was just 2 blocks away so they found it quickly and went straight to their room. Orihime had forgotten about the bed dilemma and a new blush came to her cheeks as she stared at the plush white comforter. Ulquiorra ignored her and unzipped his suitcase, pulling out the same pajama pants he had worn last night and walking into the bathroom to shower and change. When he came back out he saw the woman placing a pillow in the center of the large bed and looked up when she heard him enter.

"This should work," she said as she knelt down on the side of the mattress and slapped the pillows lined in front of her. She had taken three of the pillows from the head of the bed and lined them down the center of the mattress, creating a barrier or sorts. Luckily the bed had so many pillows that they would probably still have to throw a few more on the floor. She laid the thick down comforter over the mattress and pillows and smiled at her handy work.

"I told you before that I was willing to sleep on the floor," Ulquiorra said as he placed his dirty clothes in a pile against the wall near his suitcase.

"Yea I know but I'd feel horrible making you sleep there. It would be so uncomfortable and the bed is so big that I'm sure we won't have a problem," Orihime answered and got up from the mattress and walked to her own suitcase. She closed the bathroom door behind her and a few minutes later she came out in a fitted white tank top and short cotton shorts. His eyes immediately traveled down to her chest where he could clearly see her breasts outlined beneath the clinging fabric, completely unrestricted. He gulped loudly and tried to pull his gaze away and look at something else as she sauntered over to the bed and pulled back the blanket.

He wasn't so sure about this bed sharing thing anymore. Ulquiorra stiffly slid his body under the covers on the other side of the bed and lay down unmoving for several minutes in the dark room. Orihime didn't move either and both stared straight at the ceiling in silence. Finally Orihime turned her back towards him and let sleep take over her. Unfortunately for Ulquiorra, sleep didn't find him so easily. His body was keenly aware of the woman sleeping only an arms length away. He resisted the urge to turn his head towards the woman and rolled his body to the other side to face his back towards her. What seemed like hours later, Ulquiorra finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

**Can you tell it rained all day here? Two chapters in one day… sheesh. I need to get a life lol. But it was so much fun! I hope you enjoyed. I promise there will be lemons in the near future.**

**Please review! Comments and criticism welcome. **


	5. Chapter 5

**In case anyone was interested, most of these places are real that they are going to. Of course I'm sure most of you know of the Empire State Building but the hotel and restaurant are real places as well. I highly recommend going to the Jekyll and Hyde restaurant if you're ever in NYC. Awesome place!**

**Chapter 5**

Orihime feels the sun against her eyelids but presses them tightly together, not ready to wake up yet. The bed was so comfortable and the blanket felt so good around her. Her hand was lying on something velvety smooth and hard. She slid her fingertips over the deep ridges and pressed down gently. It seemed strange for there to be a pillow like this in the large bed so Orihime opened her eyes to see what it was and then jumped when she saw the mess of black hair beside her.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open from the movement and he turned his head to see what had interrupted his sleep. The woman stood beside the bed, her face flushing a deep red and her fingers clenched in front of her chest. She must have forgotten that she had let him share the bed with her last night.

"Sorry… sorry, sorry, sorry," Orihime cried over and over as he stared her.

"It's fine. I'm getting used to you waking me up too early," Ulquiorra answered, not really understanding why she was apologizing so much for waking him up when she woke him up every day and she'd never apologized before. Usually she was brimming with excitement or happiness as she pushed at him till he was forced to open his eyes. Why was this morning any different?

Orihime bit the side of her nail and her eyes kept darting around the room, looking at everything but him. She was so mortified by what she had been doing and she couldn't believe how calm he seemed about it. Maybe he'd been asleep still and hadn't realized it. She prayed that was the case. Still though, the memory was embedded into her mind and she struggled to forget the feeling of his skin under her palm; the way her fingers had dipped into the hard crevices of what she now knew were muscles. She watched as Ulquiorra ran a hand through his hair and stared at the ceiling with his emerald green eyes. He really seemed to be completely unfazed by her actions so she tried to calm herself down.

"Well uh, I'm gonna go take a shower and get dressed. You can sleep a few minutes longer if you want." As she turned, a knock sounded on their door and she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Ulquiorra watched her reaction to the sound and wondered what was wrong with her this morning. She was acting very strangely.

Orihime walked to the door and opened it. Outside was a man in a navy blue uniform pushing a silver cart loaded with several silver domes. She took a step back to the side and allowed the man to push the cart inside. Ulquiorra raiseed himself up onto his elbows and watched the person stop the cart and turn to Orihime.

"I hope you enjoy your breakfast. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asks.

Ulquiorra notices the mans eyes roam boldly over Orihime's scantily clad body and he feels his gut clench. She seemed completely oblivious to the state she was in as she told the man, "But we didn't order breakfast. You must have the wrong room."

The guy grabs an envelope on top of the cart and scans it before saying, "Room 1208. Ms. Orihime Inoue?"

"Yes that's me but I didn't order anything," she said.

"Well, someone ordered you something. Enjoy. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you." The man left after that but not without a last ogling stare at the woman's chest.

Orihime picks up the envelope and starts to read:

_To: Orihime Inoue _

_Room: 1208_

_Msg: I spoke to my travel agent and she informed me that you had successfully made your reservations for yourself and your boyfriend. I am so happy for you! I didn't know you finally had a boyfriend. I hope you are having a great time. You deserve this trip! Enjoy the little gift I've sent with this message. Oh, and enjoy breakfast too._

_Aunt Miko_

Orihime groaned when she finished the letter. How had this happened? Why had the travel agent thought Ulquiorra was her boyfriend? Her chin fell to her chest and her grown out bangs fell forward on her face as she closed her eyes and wished this wasn't happening to her.

When she went to put the envelope down she noticed something else inside and she pulled out a thick card embossed in gold letters.

_Elegance Spa_

_Couples Massage_

_Gift entitles the recipient to a couple's massage._

_Sunday at 10:30_

Orihime looked at the clock and it read 9:20am. She groaned and re-read the card several times. The words didn't change after the 12th time of reading it over and soon she heard Ulquiorra ask, "What is wrong Onna?"

Instead of speaking which she didn't think she was capable of doing at the moment, she walked across the room and handed him the card. He read through the lines quickly and then asked without emotion, "What is a couple's massage?"

Orihime covered her eyes with her hands and mumbled, "It's where two people who are together go and get a body massage." She felt incredibly embarrassed having to tell him that and the thought of actually taking part in something like that wasn't even bearable to think about.

"But we aren't a couple," said Ulquiorra.

"I know but apparently the travel agent thought we were and now my aunt thinks we are. This is horrible," she moaned and knelt on the side of the bed.

Ulquiorra looked at the dejected woman in front of him and wondered what could possibly be bothering her so much. It's not like they had to go and if she wanted to go he could just stay in the hotel room. "Why is it so horrible? Just don't go if it bothers you this much."

Orihime lifted her eyes to his face and sighed, "But if we don't go my aunt will be really upset. She paid a lot of money for this. I know she will find out too because they will call her when we don't show up."

"Ok then, you go and I'll stay here," he suggested.

Orihime groaned and said, "It's a couple's massage. I can't go by myself. The whole point is to go with someone else. It would look really bad if I went by myself."

"But we aren't a couple," he says again.

"I know but maybe um… you could… uh… pretend. I would be so grateful to you," Orihime said and a nervous look settled over her face. She felt completely humiliated at having to ask him something like that but the thought of having to tell her aunt about the misunderstanding and then explaining why she brought a guy along with her that wasn't even her boyfriend and sleeping together on the same bed would be even worse. She peeked an eye between her fingers as she waited for his answer.

"Absolutely not," was his simple response.

The woman's face visibly fell and her eyes began to wrinkle in worry. He could tell she was really upset over the whole thing and for some reason she found the idea of not going to be even worse than the idea of going. He couldn't understand why. When it looked like tears were about to fall from her eyes Ulquiorra groaned and said, "Fine. Just tell me what a massage is."

The smile that spread across the woman's face made something in his stomach twist and he felt a moment of gladness that he had been the cause of it. She jumped off the bed and walked over to the silver cart, ignoring his question. "Here Ulquiorra, try one of these," she said as she skipped over to his side of the bed. She handed him something that she later told him was a strawberry and he found that he enjoyed the small fruit.

Orihime walked back to the cart and started piling two plates with food. They ate quickly and when Orihime was finished she picked out an outfit from her suitcase and closed the bathroom door behind her. Ulquiorra waited until he heard the water start running and got up from the bed. He rummaged through his own bag until he found a pair of pants the woman called jeans and a navy blue shirt with a collar and just a few buttons at the top. The woman had called this type of shirt a polo shirt.

He quickly changed and a few minutes later Orihime walked out of the bathroom looking happy and energized. Her hair was still wet and clung to the back of her light purple shirt. He watched her rub the towel over her hair and then ran a brush through the long strands. When she was finished she looked at the clock and said, "We better get going. I think we are going to have to take a cab to this place."

Orihime pushed the cart to the hallway and closed the door behind them. When they left the hotel, Orihime waved until a yellow cab pulled over and the two of them slid inside the smelly vehicle. She gave the man the address on the card and the cab pulled out into the busy traffic. When they finally got there Orihime looked at the time and sighed in relief. They were 10 minutes early.

After the cab left, they walked to the building and read the sign on the single door. _Elegance Spa. _ She opened the door and they walked inside and then up the narrow stairway to the third floor. They passed through another door and then entered a beautiful room painted in a creamy white with light blue silk sheets draped around the corners of the room. There were gold and blue colored flowers in several vases on small elegant tables situated between cream colored love seats. A woman sat behind a large cherry wood desk and smiled as they entered.

"How can I help you?' asked the lady and Orihime walked forward with Ulquiorra a step behind to the front of the desk. She handed over the card and the woman smiled then said, "I spoke to your aunt just this morning. What a sweet lady."

Orihime nodded and listened as the lady continued, "You can take a seat over there. I'll tell Nancy that you are here."

They both walked over to the overstuffed sofa and took a seat. A moment later another couple walked through the door and Orihime smiled at the girl who seemed overly excited. The couple checked in and then took the seats on the opposite side from Ulquiorra and Orihime. The girl couldn't seem to contain herself and soon she was saying across the space, "Hi, my name is Becky. This is my fiancé Derek. This is our 4th time here. How many times have you guys been here?"

Orihime scratched nervously at the back of her head and replied, "Um, well, this is our first time."

A large smile spread across the girls face as she said, "Oh you guys are just going to love it! Derek and I can hardly keep our hands off each other afterwards. Where are you from?"

The girl spoke so quickly that Orihime had trouble keeping up with her. "We're from Japan. We flew in yesterday."

The girl clapped her hands excitedly and elbowed the man beside her. "Japan… we should go there for our next vacation." She turned her attention back to Orihime and asked, "How long are you two staying for? Are you going out to the beach at all while you're here?"

"We are staying for 9 days. The last three days we are staying at some resort out in Montauk, NY." Orihime stumbled slightly over the name and continued, "I think it's next to a beach."

The girl's mouth made a large circle as she said, "Oh! That's where we live. You should come over one night." She reached into her bag and started pulling out a small slip of paper and a pen. She scribbled something quickly on the square and then got up and handed it over to Orihime. "That's my cell phone number. Please call me when you get to Montauk. We'd love to take you guys around."

Orihime smiled and made polite conversation with the chatty girl. She warmed up to her quickly and found that she liked her. A few minutes later a door to the side of the front desk opened and a man wearing an all white uniform walked out. "Ms. Inoue and a Mr. Schiffer, this way please."

Orihime glanced nervously at Ulquiorra and rose from the seat. She smiled at Becky as she walked by and followed the man through the open door. The man led them into a medium sized room done in the same décor as the lobby. Classical music played from tiny speakers hanging all over the room. In the center of the room was a single white bed and Orihime wondered if Ulquiorra was going to be taken into a separate room for his massage. Hope bubbled inside her.

"Please undress and cover yourselves in the towel provided here." He pointed to two white towels sitting neatly on the waist high bed.

"Where's the other bed?" asked Orihime who couldn't understand why the man was asking them both to undress there.

"You only need one bed for this type of massage," he answered and winked as he closed the door behind him.

"Onna, what is going on?" Ulquiorra asked; a look of aggravation on his pale face.

Orihime bit nervously at her bottom lip and said, "I'm not sure. Maybe they do one of us and then switch halfway." She looked around the room again and then said, I'll close my eyes while you undress. Let me know when you are done."

Ulquiorra watched her walk across the room and lean her head against the wall with her eyes tightly shut. He thought this was a good time to get an answer from his question earlier. "Onna, what is a massage?" He could see the woman bite into her lip again as she answered.

"It's a… a relaxation technique for your body. It's supposed to soothe your muscles and stuff."

Ulquiorra sighed and started pulling his shirt over his head. He neatly folded his clothes and grabbed the towel. He wrapped the thick white cloth around his hips and tucked the corner underneath before letting Orihime know he was done.

Orihime lifted her head from the wall and opened her eyes. Just like last time she saw his bare torso, Orihime sucked in a silent breath and her eyes widened. Before she let her eyes wander shamelessly down his lean figure she walked over to the bed and told him to close his eyes. He did as she asked and soon she was wrapping her towel around herself and nervously telling him it was ok to open his eyes. As she did this, a loud knock sounded at the door and a petite lady with blazing red hair walked into the room.

"Good morning lovers. Isn't this a great way to start your day?" she said as she walked towards them in the center of the room.

"Uh, good morning," Orihime answered. Ulquiorra stayed silent and watched the strange lady walk towards them.

"My name is Nancy and I will be your instructor this morning. Please hook this little gadget to your ear. I will be able to relay your instructions through this while I sit in a small room outside. I expect you to follow every instruction exactly as I say it and I will know if you don't." She pointed to the four video camera's hanging in each corner of the room. "Do you have any questions?" she asked as she turned and started walking briskly towards the door she had entered from.

"Yea umm… so you're not the masseuse?" asked Orihime. The woman stopped abruptly and turned.

"No dear, I'm just the instructor. You're the masseuse. Now put the gadget in your ear and have your boyfriend lie on his stomach on the table. You should be able to hear me in just a few seconds." The lady closed the door quietly behind her and then sure enough, 10 seconds later Orihime was able to hear her through the little speaker in her ear.

Ulquiorra stared at her in horror and Orihime wished that she could turn into ash and fly away at that moment. She shifted her weight nervously and felt tears pool in her eyes as she glanced nervously around the room. Ulquiorra felt the now familiar twist in his gut as he looked at the woman's sad face. He knew that whatever he had to do couldn't be much worse than looking at her like that. With a slow step he moved to the side of the table and laid himself down. He placed his face in the round cushioned hole at the top and shifted his body until it lay perfectly in the center of the soft table. As he lay there, he heard a quiet 'thank you' come from the woman and he knew that he could endure whatever it was that was about to happen.

In Orihime's ear, the woman said, "Now, look down at your boyfriend and take a slow stroll around the table. Absorb the sight of his body and start memorizing every inch of his skin."

Orihime's cheeks flamed red and looked up at the camera in the corner.

"Don't look at me. Your man is the only thing you are allowed to look at at this moment," said the voice.

Orihime took a deep breath and dragged her gaze to Ulquiorra's ivory skin. His back was lean with muscle and his spine arched gradually down to the dip in his lower back. She began walking in a slow circle like she was instructed and her eyes followed her path as she walked around his head. She gazed at the raven black hair and smiled despite her nervousness. Her legs passed by his other shoulder and she admired the muscles that stretched over his shoulder and down his arm. When she got to his waist her cheeks turned pink and she quickly moved her eyes farther to his legs. She was surprised to see thickly muscled thighs and calves as she made her way around his feet and turned back to where she started.

When she stopped she heard the woman say, "Now reach over to the little table and grab the tan bottle." Orihime turned her heard and found the bottle she mentioned. She picked it up and looked at the label. 'Massage Oil'.

"Empty a good amount into your hand and then rub both your hands together to warm it up." The voice waited for her to do that and then continued, "Now place your hands on your boyfriends right shoulder and slowly rub the oil into his skin. Move your hand in slow circles down his right side and repeat the motion with the other side."

'This was it,' Orihime thought. If she didn't go up in flames she would be completely shocked.

Orihime slowly lowered her hands and laid them over his skin. She felt Ulquiorra flinch beneath her hands and his muscles tense. After several moments and much coaxing from the woman in her ear, Orihime slid her hands down the side of his back and moved her hands in tiny circles. She had to pour more oil onto her hands as she moved to the other side of his body and Nancy told her to start pressing lightly into his muscles with her fingers after she had his back completely coated in the oil.

Her fingers started to move slowly over his shoulder and the lady told her to start moving her hands over his shoulder and down his arm. Orihime was instructed to press more firmly and started massaging his bicep with long slow strokes of her thumbs. Orihime started to enjoy the feel of his skin beneath her hands and the lean muscle that her fingers dug into. It wasn't so bad since he couldn't see what she was doing. Every new patch of skin she moved to was tightly clenched but after several minutes of running her fingers over the area his muscles would relax. She had to pour more oil into her hands as she ran her hands farther down his arm and then the lady told her to press her thumb and index finger to the outside of his palm and pull down across his pinky finger. She was to repeat the same motion with each finger in long strokes.

On the bed, Ulquiorra fought tirelessly to keep his body from shaking with every stroke of her hands. Her soft fingers moved seductively down his arm and every muscle tensed up at the contact. It took him a while to get used to the feeling and just when he thought he could deal with the next movement of her hand she would touch a different part and the feeling started all over again. When her tiny fingers wound through his he felt the strangest tightening in his chest and had to suppress a moan from escaping his lips.

Her hands started to slide back up his arm and rolled across his shoulder blades with slow movements. She repeated the same movements to his right arm and finally moved back up to the center of his back at the top of his spine.

"Now pour a bit more oil into your hands and start working the muscles on either side of his spine," said Nancy from the other room.

Orihime poured a healthy amount of oil into her hands and placed them back on the top of his back. The excess oil slowly dripped down into the crevice of his spine and tiny drops slid down and disappeared into the towel at his waist. She followed the droplets down their path with her eyes as she dug her thumbs and fingertips into his muscles. Her tongue darted out to lick her lower lip as several of the drops pooled at the curve of his waist. She quickly shook her head and concentrated on her fingers and Nancy spoke into her ear, "Dig into those muscles with your thumbs and continue all the way down to the top of the towel."

Ulquiorra gulped when her hands moved over the small of his back. Her fingers pressed down and then slid around his sides. For a brief second her hands firmly grasped both his sides and his hips jerked in reaction. Her thumbs made small circles at the base of his spine and he felt some of his tension ease. In a long caress, her hands slid up both sides of his back and grabbed softly at his traps, massaging the muscles slowly and digging her thumbs into the top of his spine. This time he did groan and he felt the woman's hands pause briefly at the sound.

"Slowly move your fingers up his neck and then slide them up his scalp with slow circles."

Orihime watched her fingers move to the line of his hair and then slowly sifted them into his dark locks. Her fingers spread out as they slid up and started softly rubbing his scalp. She was told to stand in front of his head so she took a couple steps and moved till Ulquiorra's head was in front of her stomach. Her hands traveled back down his head and then rubbed the muscles around his neck.

From this angle, Ulquiorra had a great view of the woman's perfect thighs. He took a shuttering breath as the woman's fingers moved down his neck and then traveled back down his sides. Her fingers felt like licks of ice as they slid down and once again she squeezed her hands around his waist. He could feel her leaning over his body and her legs stood tantalizingly close to his head. When she straightened back up he heard her whisper in his ear, "I'm sorry." He felt her breath against the skin of his neck and a chill ran over his body.

Ulquiorra watched her legs walk around the other side of his body and he sighed in disappointment when they disappeared.

"Place your right hand on his skin below the towel. Now press your thumb and index finger into his leg."

Orihime felt the muscles between her fingers jerk in response and Ulquiorra's hips nearly bucked off the bed. A short giggle escaped the woman in the other room and she continued her instructions. "Massage the back of his legs and run your hands down all the way till you get to his feet."

She had never touched a mans legs before. She hadn't touched a man anywhere before for that matter but there was something incredibly intimate about pressing her fingers into the inside of his thighs. Her hands stopped when she felt the body beneath her fingers quake. 'Did she hurt him?' she wondered.

"You're doing great Ms. Inoue. Just keep it up," said the voice in her ear. When her hands found his feet she was instructed to dig her thumbs into the arch of his foot and then work their way down to his toes. She took each toe and massaged them before moving to his other leg and repeating the same process.

Ulquiorra didn't think he could take another minute of this seductive torture. Every time she pressed her fingers into his flesh his body reacted in a way that he had never felt before. A dull ache started to form in a certain area which completely unnerved him. He had never been affected by such base needs before and this feeling was completely new to him. The inner struggle to keep calm was quickly exhausting him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the woman say, "Um- Ulquiorra? I need you to turn over onto your back."

He groaned and shook his head in response. He had no idea what state his body was in. When the woman asked again he lifted his head and found her silver eyes. For some reason his whole body shivered when he looked at her and he had a difficult time keeping eye contact as he said, "Why?"

The woman bit her lip and answered, "Nancy told me to ask you."

With another groan, Ulquiorra slowly turned over and was extremely grateful that nothing seemed to be 'out of place' beneath his towel. When the woman leaned over and placed her hands on his pectorals he knew whatever hope he'd had for remaining unaffected was futile.

It had grown pretty easy to forget the embarrassing situation they were in when Ulquiorra's face was hidden but now that he was staring at her she felt her body start to tremble and grow nervous. Her teeth bit down increasingly harder into her lower lip and her fingers started to shake as they traveled over his skin. His body was flawless beneath her hands and she found herself admiring his lean form. When her thumbs slid over his small nipples she heard him suck in a quick breath and close his eyes.

Orihime was thankful that Nancy didn't tell her to massage his abs but she couldn't help but look at the perfectly sculpted muscles as she took a step towards his legs. Her hands massaged down each of his legs and then listened as the lady said, "Now trail your fingers up the length of his leg and walk all the way up to his head. Let your fingers make a path all the way up as you go and then complete the circle around the other side of his body.

Ulquiorra felt her fingers gently moved up his leg and when they neared the towel he expected them to lift off of his body. When they continued to follow the same path he gritted his teeth and fisted his hands at his sides when her fingers slid over the side of his hips. She walked around his head and he heard her whisper again, "I'm really really sorry," and then continued the torture down the other side of his body.

The fingers lifted off of his body and he opened his eyes to see Orihime standing at his feet with a huge blush spreading across her face. There was something strange about the look on her face though. It was obvious that she was extremely embarrassed but there was something else there that he couldn't quite place.

He didn't have time to dwell on it as the sound of the door opening interrupted his thoughts.

The tiny woman walked confidently into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Well done Orihime. Now pass the speaker to your boyfriend and switch places. You're going to have to fold your towel down over your hips once you lie down so he can have access to your back. Any questions?" she asked, waited a moment and when she heard nothing she turned and walked back out the door.

Both Ulquiorra and Orihime sighed heavily.

**Oh boy that ended up being way longer than I expected. I fully intended to finish the entire visit in 1 chapter and also to finish the rest of the day but apparently I got a little carried away and now it's time for me to go. **

**Hope you liked it! **


	6. Chapter 6

**I've had 2 people now mention that my story is similar to another one on this site. I actually didn't even read that story until just this past weekend which was after I started this story. I truly did outline it so that Ulquiorra and Orihime were going to travel to NY before I read 'Cruisin for Love' by StrawberryMerry. I wanted to move them from the normal setting I have used previously and bring them to a place I was more familiar with. I grew up in upstate NY so it is easier for me to describe that area. Maybe I have been overly influenced by the story and didn't realize it. I feel kind of bad at this point and I'll decide later if I should continue this story. I'll still submit what I have so far for this chapter since I have already started it.**

**Chapter 5**

Orihime barely took a breath as she waited for the inevitable feeling of his hands on her skin. The anticipation was driving her insane as she listened to Ulquiorra pick up the bottle of oil. She remembered what Nancy had told her to do first when she had been the masseuse and her muscles tensed noticeably all over her body with the thought. A shuffle of feet beside her made her wonder when the torture was going to begin. She didn't remember it taking this long before. The muscles on her back started to grow uncomfortable as she continued to wait. She started to wonder if something was wrong and began lifting her head when suddenly hot liquid started pouring down the center of her back. She gasped audibly and fell back down into the cushions. Her hands dug into the plastic beside her head and she sucked in her breath when the oil made a path down her spine.

Ulquiorra listened to the woman lying down in front of him and felt something inside him begin to stir. Her tiny intakes of breath made his gut feel funny and he could feel his heartbeat gain speed. When the woman in his ear told him to lean over Orihime's back and exhale a long breath over her skin he hesitated and then shook his head. He didn't remember Orihime having to do anything like this. The woman's insistence annoyed him and he listened as she explained, "I can't have you doing the same thing she did to you or then she'd know what was coming and that's half the fun. Just trust me on this."

He groaned in disapproval but found himself leaning over the woman and quietly releasing his breath. The reaction he expected wasn't anything like he received. It sounded like the woman whimpered beneath him and he quickly stood up straight, his eyes opening wide in shock. The lady in his ear laughed and continued speaking, "Now let your fingers glide over her lower back and circle around her sides to until you run into the top of the cushions.

Up to this point he hadn't had to touch the tantalizing skin glowing beneath him and he was surprised to find his fingers tingling with anticipation as they lowered and slid smoothly over it. His hands worked their way through the oil and spread it down her sides while he followed the ladies instructions. Orihime's tiny waist felt incredible between his hands and he regretted having to remove them when Nancy told him to start pressing his fingers into her lower back. His thumbs moved in tiny circles as he worked his way slowly up her spine. Her skin wasn't extremely tanned but the difference between his pale fingers and her flawless skin was oddly entrancing.

On the mattress, Orihime tried to control her breathing as each caress made her want to gasp and sigh from the incredible feeling. She was surprised by how warm his hands were as they smoothed over her shoulders and started massaging the tension in her neck. His long fingers threaded their way over her scalp and his body pressed slightly against her side as she felt him lean over her.

"Pick up her arm and start massaging her from shoulder to elbow. Let her fingertips touch your stomach as you work your way down."

Ulquiorra didn't think the woman in the other room could see his proximity that well so he ignored that last instruction. Sure enough though, a moment later Nancy was explaining, "You have to do this exactly as I describe it. She will love it I promise."

He doubted her words but did as he was told. How would her being able to touch him enhance this at all for the woman? He felt Orihime's fingers twitch against his stomach as he worked his way down her arm and kneaded the muscles.

Orihime wanted to rub her fingers over his hard stomach when she felt him brush himself against her. With a superhuman effort she resisted the urge and almost groaned when he stepped away. A pale white leg entered her vision and soon she was staring down at his feet. Even his toes seemed to fascinate her. His hands slid down her back and started to once again knead the muscles of her lower back. His hips bumped against her head as he leaned over her and she heard him growl in frustration above her.

"Let your fingers slide a small bit underneath her towel that is draped over her hips. Then press your fingers down into her skin and rub them over to her sides and then press under her body slightly so that your fingers are between her and the cushions. Move your hands underneath and slowly make your way back up the length of her body."

Ulquiorra could see where this was going to lead him and his eyes widened in apprehension. The side of Orihime's large bosom had been a constant sight which he had tried to ignore the entire time but it seemed that he now couldn't avoid it any longer. His fingers trailed up her sides and when they came in contact with her breasts they both sighed and he quickly snatched his fingers away.

"Good, now stand below her feet and rub the arches then slowly work your way up her ankles and massage her calves."

Ulquiorra continued to do as he was told as his hands soon rubbed every inch of Orihime's skin that was exposed. "Now ask her to roll over onto her back. You can unfold the towel over her and cover her as she turns if you'd like."

'Oh god,' he thought after hearing her instructions. 'How was he supposed to control himself when his hands held the only thing between his eyes and her naked body?'

"Nancy wants you to r…," said Ulquiorra, his voice cracking like he was still in puberty. He cleared his throat and tried again. "She wants you to roll over."

He heard Orihime's worried voice answer back, "But, the towel doesn't cover me enough."

"I will hold it up and cover you as you do it," he said.

"Um ok," she stammered and waited until she felt his hands unfold the towel and lay it over her back. When she started to move he lifted the towel up a few inches and waited until she settled back down. He dropped the fabric as soon as she was done and released the air from his lungs that he had been holding. Her breasts were barely covered by the white towel and he tried to keep his eyes away from that area as he listened to his next instructions.

"Move back to her feet and rub your hands up her shins and then massage the muscles above her knees. Work your hands up slowly and keep your thumbs pressed against the inside of her thighs."

Orihime felt his hands slide up her legs and when his thumbs pressed into the inside of her thighs she thought she would die. It was incredibly embarrassing but it was also incredibly erotic. She resisted the urge to part her legs and when his fingers reached the bottom of her towel she sucked in her breath and silently begged him not to stop. Her breath whooshed out when his hands left her skin and she tried not to vocalize her disappointment.

"Great job! Now I just need you to do one last thing and then you will be finished. Walk back up to the side and lean over her until your face is just inches from hers. Let your lips linger over hers for a brief moment and then lift your lips and press a light kiss to her forehead."

Of all the things he'd been told to do, this was the thing that frightened him the most. It seemed silly to think this way since his fingers had just touched almost every inch of her body but somehow letting his lips press against that skin just seemed like a treasure he didn't deserve. He shook his head and took the ear piece out of his ear, placing the device on the table.

Orihime heard him drop the object and opened her eyes. She watched Ulquiorra stand by her side and he glared at the door as it opened when Nancy came back inside.

"I'm a little disappointed with the ending…" she paused for affect and then continued, "… but overall you guys did great! I rarely see a couple more entranced with their partners as you guys were. Very encouraging I must say," Nancy said and then smiled. "Your muscles may feel a bit strange for the rest of the day so be careful and drink plenty of water. It's very easy to get dehydrated after a full body massage. I hope I get to see you again someday. You can change back into your clothes now. Tah-ta."

They both watched the lady exit the room and Orihime stood up from the table. "Um, you can go ahead. I'll close my eyes."

Ulquiorra quickly walked across the room to his pile of clothing and started dressing himself. When he was done he did the same for her and when she said she was done he opened his eyes and kept them on the floor in front of him. They both walked silently to the exit and left the spa without a backwards glance.

Once outside, Orihime took a long deep breath and tried to think clearly. Her body still tingled with thoughts of his fingers and she had to shake her head repeatedly to focus on something else.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok I'm gonna stop sulking like a big baby and just continue with my story and not worry about whether or not it's similar to something else. I do this because I enjoy it so I will continue to do it and hopefully people are happy with what I do.**

**Chapter 7 (Chapter 6 continued)  
**

"Are you hungry?" Orihime asked as they stood outside the door of the Spa.

"I could eat," he answered without looking up at her. He didn't like the feeling he had now. The past few hours had been way too intimate and now he felt uncomfortable around the woman. How was he supposed to forget the way her skin felt beneath his hands? Was he supposed to pretend that it never happened? 'Maybe that's the best way,' he thought.

Orihime hailed a cab and they sat inside. Orihime asked the driver if there were any good restaurants along the way to Battery Park. He nodded his head and they took off down the street. The driver pulled up along the curb in front of a small pizza shop and they got out of the cab and walked inside.

Ulquiorra watched Orihime inhale her slices as she moaned about how good it was. It seemed like it had been simple enough for her to forget the morning so he tried his best to forget as well.

They hailed another cab when they finished and pulled up to Battery Park. Orihime bought tickets for the next ferry that left for Liberty Island and found a nearby bench to sit on while they waited. Orihime couldn't help but think back on this morning. She felt horrible for what she had asked him to do. If she had known that they would have been massaging each other she would have sucked up her courage and explained everything to her aunt. She decided she needed to explain to him how badly she felt.

"Ulquiorra?" Orihime began. From the corner of her eye she saw Ulquiorra turn his head in her direction. She continued staring at the floor as she said, "I am really sorry about earlier. If I had known it would have been like that I would have just explained the situation to my aunt and dealt with the repercussions. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I promise that if my aunt tries to do anything else like that for us again I will tell her everything. You've been so great so far and I really pushed things over the line. I hope you will forgive me."

Ulquiorra watched the woman bite her lip and her eyes started welling up with tears. 'Why was he so helpless when the woman got like that?' he thought to himself before saying, "I don't know what you are talking about. I don't recall doing anything yet this morning."

Orihime's eyes shot up and she looked over at Ulquiorra's pale face which was staring straight ahead at the approaching ferry. "You don't remember the spa?" she asked incredulously.

Ulquiorra turned his eyes to look into hers and said, "What spa?" and then turned his head back towards the water.

Orihime began to say something again and then stopped. She finally figured out what he was trying to do. With a slow smile she turned her head and looked in the same direction as him. "Thank you," she whispered before rising from her seat and smiling down at Ulquiorra.

The Statue of Liberty ended up being not as big as she had thought it would be. It was still an impressive figure though and she appreciated the symbology behind it. The ferry had been crowded with tourists and Orihime had struggled to find a good spot to take a few pictures.

When they got off the boat, Orihime was exhausted and could see the sun was already starting to set in the distance. "I'm ready to go back to the hotel. What about you?" she asked after she slung her purse over her shoulder and started walking towards the street.

Ulquiorra nodded and followed the woman and then got into the cab which took them quickly back to their hotel. Orihime stopped in the lobby and got a menu for a delivery place so that they could order something for dinner.

As soon as Orihime opened the door to their room she groaned as she looked at the bed. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about that. At that moment though she was too tired and hungry to care enough so she flopped onto her side of the bed and started browsing through the menu the lady had given her. After she picked out what she wanted she passed the menu over to Ulquiorra who was lying on his side of the bed, lost in thought. He didn't bother taking the menu from her and instead said, "Just order me the same thing you are having."

Orihime started to notice that he did this wherever they went. She just shrugged and picked up the phone beside the bed. When she was done placing the order she lay back on the mountain of pillows and grabbed the remote. She started flipping through the channels until she found a familiar movie and asked, "Is this ok?"

Ulquiorra turned his head and said, "I wouldn't know if it was or wasn't."

She didn't feel like trying to figure out what he meant so she turned her attention to the movie and yawned. About 30 minutes later someone knocked on their door and Orihime jumped up to get their food. She dropped the bags between them on the bed after the man left and started digging in. Orihime paused the movie when they finished the food and threw the bags and wrappers out. She grabbed her pajama's and changed in the bathroom quickly then sat on the bed and waited for Ulquiorra to do the same.

They continued the movie and Orihime felt her eyes grow heavy as the end approached. She didn't make it and fell into a deep sleep. Ulquiorra wasn't far behind and soon they were both fast asleep, neither one of them under the covers.

Ulquiorra woke up first and wondered about the state of his body. There was a disturbing tightness in a place he hadn't experienced before and that's when he noticed the leg draped over his hips. At the same time he realized the woman's arm was wrapped around his neck and her face was pressed against the side of his shoulder. His hips flexed against the pressure before he realized what he was doing then froze his body and let his mind race to find a way to get out of this situation without alarming the girl. He gently grasped Orihime's arm and lifted it from around his neck. Next he pushed his body deeper into the bed and slid out from under the woman's leg.

He successfully rolled off the bed without waking Orihime up and decided to take a shower. When he finished and changed into fresh clothes, Orihime was still asleep on the large bed. He took a seat in one of the hard backed chairs and waited till he saw her stir.

Orihime lifted her head and looked at the mattress beneath her. She was puzzled by why she was on the other side of the bed but figured she must have rolled over after Ulquiorra had gotten up. As she turned her head and found him sitting on against the far wall she smiled and yawned as she stretched her arms over her head. "Good Morning. You're up early," she said and slid her legs off the side of the mattress.

Ulquiorra nodded and watched the woman walk across the room and start grabbing clothes from her bag. She showered and changed and when she re-emerged a bit later she grabbed the pile of brochures that she had picked up the first day they had arrived and started flipping through them. One seemed to catch her eye and she held it up towards him. "Let's go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today. It's right next to Central Park so we can see that as well. I heard it's a beautiful park."

"That's fine Onna," said Ulquiorra.

They were both ready so Orihime grabbed a few things and shoved them into her purse before they walked out the door. They decided to walk to the museum and along the way they stopped at a small diner for breakfast. As usual Orihime stuffed herself. Her pile of pancakes was devoured and she even ate some of his when he couldn't finish. He wondered how she could still be so petite when she had an appetite like that.

They took there time walking around the museum. Ulquiorra found the place more interesting than he'd originally thought it would be. There was much more than pictures to see which he had been expecting. Every room felt like they were entering a new world.

They walked through the rooms together, neither one seeming to feel awkward at all after the previous day's adventure. Orihime pointed excitedly several times when a particular piece would catch her attention. Several hours later, the two walked out of the museum and headed to the corner where they bought a burger each and then sat on a nearby bench as they finished their food. When they were done they got up and took the path near them that led into Central Park. They soon saw a large field with dozen's of people running around playing various games. A softball game was going on on one side and a couple nearby were throwing a Frisbee back and forth. Everyone seemed so happy and Orihime smiled as she passed by. A little farther down the path they came upon a small stream and they walked over an arched bridge to pass over it. Orihime got excited every time a pigeon would land near her which was practically every 30 seconds. When they came to another open area they saw a small petting zoo which Orihime couldn't possibly pass up. She fed baby goats, sheep and all types of baby animals with tiny pellets of food. Ulquiorra stood outside the gate and watched.

She was so gentle with the creatures and he noticed that the animals seemed to react to her kindness and soon she was surrounded by baby animals. Her face was lit up with joy and the smile that stretched across her face was breathtaking. She was such a genuinely good person and it made him feel miserable. He was so completely opposite her and he realized that she probably thought of him the same way she does those animals. He was someone who needed taking care of. The goodness inside her made her take him in. He should have realized this sooner but now it all came crashing around him. He thought back on the few days they spent together and all he could remember was his harsh or indifferent words to her. He didn't deserve her kindness.

Vowing silently to himself, Ulquiorra decided he was going to attempt to be more 'friendly'. It shouldn't be too hard since she was probably the easiest person in the world to get along with. He watched her skip back to his side with a huge smile still stretching across her face. "Did you see that? They were eating out of my hand! They were so cute." She nearly squeaked with excitement.

Soon evening came and they started heading back to their hotel. When they got inside, Orihime grabbed a sheet of paper from her purse and started reading through it. "We have to go to Grand Central Station tomorrow morning and catch the train up north. The train leaves at 7:40am so we are going to have to set the alarm clock tonight."

Ulquiorra grabbed the clock off the bedside table and started messing with the buttons and knobs until he had it set for 6:30am.

"Thanks," said Orihime while she watched him put the clock back down on the table. "Well I guess we better go to bed. Early day tomorrow."

He watched her leave to go change and groaned as he flopped back on the bed in disgust. He was horrible at this 'friendly' thing. If anything he'd been even more cold and unfriendly to her that evening. Words had never been his strong point and he found himself wishing desperately that he had made more of an effort to communicate with the other Espada to at least practice a little. When he heard her exit the bathroom he glanced in her direction as she plopped down on her side of the bed and then closed his eyes again. He had to think of something that would make this easier.

Soft snores started to invade the silence of the room and he looked over at the woman who had already fallen asleep. He got up quietly from the bed and went to the bathroom to change. When he came back out he slid under the covers and let his thoughts start to wander again.

Maybe he could show her in different ways that he appreciated what she did for him. He thought this through and then let himself drift to sleep.

**Kind of a boring chapter but things should pick up in the next one. This is a bit short because I had submitted the other half earlier in the day so basically chapter 6 and 7 should be 1 chapter but oh well. Chapter 8 should go back to the norm. Oh and it will be a bit more exciting as well lol… erm well I hope you find it exciting at least.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

'I must destroy that noise,' was Ulquiorra's first thought as he opened his eyes. Orihime was quicker to react than he was and reached over his body to smack the top of the annoying machine. Her unbound chest grazed the top of his as she leaned across him and they both sucked in their breath at the contact.

Orihime quickly moved back to her side and flopped back on the mattress, covering her eyes with her arm. It felt illegal to wake up so early on a vacation.

With a groan, Orihime lifted herself up and dragged her feet across the room to grab her clothes and staggered into the bathroom. Ulquiorra picked out his clothes as well and then waited his turn. His eyes felt heavy as he sat there listening to the steady sound of the shower in the other room. He let them close and then slumped back to lie on the bed. An instant later he was sleeping soundly.

Orihime poked his chest as she leaned over him. "No fair. I should have made you take a shower first so I could have slept more."

Ulquiorra grunted and got up to take his shower. Orihime finished packing their stuff while she waited for him to finish and when he finally emerged they left the room and checked out of the hotel. The gentleman at the front desk showed them which subway they needed to take to get to Grand Central Station and within 15 minutes they were walking into the huge terminal.

Orihime stared at the ceiling which looked like some kind of astrological symbol. She was surprised by how beautiful the large, busy room was. Light flooded in from all corners of the room through massive windows and everything looked surprisingly clean unlike the crowded streets outside. They picked up their tickets at the counter and Orihime looked at the large clock which was built into the wall. They had fifteen minutes until they had to board the train. Orihime decided to take the opportunity and load herself up with foreign candy from one of the little shops.

As the woman browsed through the mounds of chocolate and sugar, Ulquiorra walked over to the racks of magazines and picked up one. He flipped through the pages, looking for something specific. His hands stopped on a page with a picture of a man and a woman walking hand in hand down an empty street, both looking at each with large smiles spreading across their faces. 'Is this what friends do?' he wondered. He shook his head and continued flipping through the pages.

After going through two different magazines he still didn't find what he was looking for and as he reached for a third a small hand reached out to his arm and he heard, "Do you want any of those?"

Ulquiorra turned his head to look at Orihime and replied, "No I was just looking through." He didn't bother to pick up the magazine he had been reaching for and instead followed Orihime to the counter and waited as she paid. She grabbed another candy bar and threw it into the mix as the man behind the counter rang up her goodies. With a huge smile she picked up her bag and the two of them set off to find their train.

Once inside, they found a row of three seats and sat down. The train wasn't very crowded so they were able to spread out across all three seats as the train started moving slowly down the track. Orihime reached into her bag and rummaged through till she found a chocolate bar and then handed it to Ulquiorra. He shook his head, wondering how the woman could possibly want to eat candy so early in the morning. Orihime just shrugged and ripped the wrapper open snapping off a large chunk then popping it into her mouth.

"Mmm," she said loudly as she licked her lips. "You gotta try this stuff." She broke another piece off and handed it to Ulquiorra who once again shook his head.

"But it's so good. Try it," Orihime begged.

Ulquiorra's stomach felt nauseas at the thought but grabbed the piece anyway and swallowed it quickly.

"Aww you didn't even taste it," Orihime sulked but continued to eat the candy herself.

A little bit later when the train finally came out from underground, Orihime looked out the window and watched the buildings go by. Eventually the buildings started to get farther and farther apart until eventually the only thing she could see was trees and a wide river on one side. Two hours later, the train slowed and the conductor announced that they were coming into Poughkeepsie, NY. Ulquiorra and Orihime stood up and grabbed their bags from the rack above their heads. When the train stopped they walked out onto the platform and followed the signs for the exit.

Waiting for them was a small shuttle bus and they loaded their bags inside along with a married couple and their three year old son. Almost the entire 40 minute drive, Orihime played with the small boy. She had been given a Batman action figurine and she was fighting the evil Transformers along side her partner Superman who the boy had picked out to be. When they entered a small town, Orihime let her eyes wander out the window and she was fascinated by all the little shops with tie dye clothing and strange objects displayed in their windows. 'I gotta get one of those,' she thought to herself and hoped that they would be coming back to this town at some point.

The shuttle started climbing a large mountain and by the time they got to the top, Orihime had her face nearly glued to the window as she looked at the scenery. Thick green trees were everywhere you looked and small cottages could be seen here and there. When the road turned, they could see the Mountain House rise up in front of them. It looked like a castle and Orihime's imagination started running wild with stories and fantasies of fairy princesses and fire breathing dragons. She'd only dreamed of staying in a place like this.

Ulquiorra wondered if he was going to have to hold the woman back as the shuttle started to slow down and the woman looked like she was going to jump out before it stopped. The door clicked open an instant before the wheels stopped and Orihime jumped out of the van with the small boy right behind her. They both stared up at the beautiful building and Ulquiorra couldn't tell whose eyes held more awe.

Orihime reached a hand out to grab Ulquiorra's sleeve and she said without turning her head, "Can you believe we are going to be staying here?"

He made a small sound of agreement and went about grabbing their luggage from the back. They walked inside and the interior was done in a rustic cabin type décor. At the desk Orihime told the man her name and she made sure to ask how many beds were going to be in the room. When he answered one king size bed she quickly asked if they had any rooms available with two beds and the man replied a minute later that they did and she sighed with relief. 'This part of the trip was already looking good,' she thought as the man handed them each a room key.

When they found their room, Orihime sucked in a deep breath and stood frozen in the doorway. The room was unlike any hotel room she'd ever seen. The furniture was all of Victorian design and the carpet had a beautiful floral pattern across it. A huge window took up nearly the entire wall on the far side of the room and the view was just absolutely breathtaking with the Catskill Mountains rising high into the cloudless sky.

"This is so perfect," Orihime exclaimed and dropped her suitcase on the ground. She ran to the window and stared at the lake beneath them and Ulquiorra could hear a tiny squeal escape the woman's mouth before she said excitedly, "There's a lake that we can swim in!"

Orihime didn't want to waste a moment of the gorgeous day so she quickly unpacked their few things and practically pulled Ulquiorra out of the room and down the hall to the lobby. She asked the clerk for suggestions on what they should do and he pulled out a map and started highlighting a hiking trail that he recommended them take.

"Once you get here," the man said while pointing to a spot on the small map, "there's a small trail that leads to Bonticou Crag. If you have some decent sneakers with you you can go rock scrambling there."

Orihime looked at the man in confusion and he continued, "Rock scrambling is like amateur rock climbing. You don't need ropes or anything. Mostly you'll be scaling large boulders. I think you guys will enjoy it."

She turned to Ulquiorra with a smile and a questioning look and waited to see what he thought. In answer he just shrugged his shoulders and started walking back to their room. Orihime bounced behind him, calling thanks as she left until she heard the man behind her say, "Wait. I suggest you stop at the shop on your way out to get a bag for a picnic. It's a long hike and you'll probably be hungry when you reach the top."

Orihime turned and said thanks again then followed Ulquiorra into their room to quickly changed into more appropriate clothing. Ulquiorra slid on the sneakers Orihime had bought him the other day during their shopping trip but left the jeans and striped black and white t-shirt on. Orihime decided to put on something a little more comfortable and came out in a pair of khaki shorts and royal blue tank top. She laced up her sneakers and a few minutes later Ulquiorra was throwing the backpack over his shoulders and the two were walking out of the hotel and searching for the beginning of the trail.

A small wooden sign pointed out the direction they were to go in and they started walking steadily down the path. Soon they found themselves walking along a dirt trail with trees everywhere they looked. "I wonder how far this rock scrambling place is?" said Orihime as they continued to walk down the trail.

Ulquiorra was beginning to wonder the same thing after they had been walking for about 40 minutes but then the road split and another small wooden sign branched out in both directions, one saying to Mohonk Golf Course and the other saying Bonticou Crag. They turned towards the crag and the path grew even narrower. They had to walk single file down the dirt path, ducking under low branches and sliding over large rocks that blocked the path. When they got to the bottom they looked up and both of their eyes widened in amazement. The mountain opened up to a relatively steep rocky incline and a yellow arrow marked the direction they were supposed to take.

Orihime went first and started climbing over a boulder that was easily 15 feet high and probably twice as long. Her feet dug into the hard rock as she started climbing up its angled surface. Ulquiorra was quick to follow and they both followed the yellow dotted trail as it led them over huge rocks and into narrow cracks. When they got to a spot where they would have to push themselves through a narrow space and shimmy their bodies up a 20 foot space between two huge boulders, Ulquiorra waited at the bottom and watched the woman as she wiggled her way up. Orihime pushed herself up with all her might and tried to dig her toe into a tiny crack in the rock. Her foot slid out from under her and her body started to slide down as her hands grabbed furiously for something to grab on to. Two strong hands grabbed her ankles and Orihime was able to find a handle in the rock and she started her climb again.

Ulquiorra followed close behind Orihime as she climbed up the last few feet. Several times her foot had slipped but each time he had been able to grab her before she fell too far. When they both finally reached the top of that section, they took a seat on the thankfully flat boulder and caught their breath. Between breathless pants Orihime said, "Thanks Ulquiorra. That was a tough one back there."

Ulquiorra nodded and leaned forward to take deeper breaths. Who knew it would be so tiring just climbing over rocks?

They continued a few minutes later and when they came to a large rock that Orihime just couldn't quite manage to make it over since it required taking a large step up and her legs just were too short, Ulquiorra had to grab her by the waist and lift her up. Thoughts of the other day when he'd wrapped his hands around her oily waist popped into his mind and he subconsciously swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"We're almost there," said Orihime excitedly as she lifted herself through another tight squeeze. Ulquiorra was right behind her as they stepped up the last few steps and finally reached the top. They stopped and both stared at the view around them. From this height they were standing higher than most of the birds flying around and they could see for miles and miles in every direction. Neither spoke as they absorbed the beauty around them. After a few minutes, Orihime finally said, "Let's go sit down over there and eat our food."

Ulquiorra followed the woman to the flat area next to the edge of the cliff. He felt a little uncomfortable with Orihime sitting so close to the edge but he tried to ignore it as Orihime started pulling out sandwiches and little bags of chips. They both continued to look around at their surroundings as they ate their food and a strong breeze whipped around them. "Isn't nature incredible," she said as she stuffed the wrappers from her food back into their bag.

Ulquiorra agreed and leaned back on his hands so that he could get a better view of the blue sky. He could see in the distance some dark clouds and wondered if they were going in their direction.

"Makes you feel like a puny human doesn't it," commented Orihime who then blushed and said, "Err, well, are you human? You don't have a hole in your chest anymore and your helmet is gone so you can't be an Arrancar or a hollow and you can't be a soul since people can see you. What are you now?" She felt silly for asking him like that but she didn't know how else to put it.

Ulquiorra thought about it for a few moments simply because he didn't know himself. It had all happened so fast and everything since then had kept him so busy that he'd never really had time to think about it. He decided to be bluntly honest with her and he started telling her about how he'd regenerated his body. He told her about the light that had kept him out of the darkness when he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. He also told her about the heartbeat that had followed him everywhere until the moment he had found her. When he tried to explain the warmth that had taken over his body when his hole had disappeared he felt awkward and self-conscious trying to explaining something like that but he continued on. She deserved to know everything that happened to him which had led him back to her. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she was the reason he was alive. Whether that be as a human or who knows what didn't really matter.

Orihime listened to him as he told her what had happened before he'd found her. She took a moment to let it all sink in after he was finished speaking and then said, "The day you found me in the park, I had also experienced something… strange. I was sitting in class when suddenly something flooded my chest and something warm burst through. I didn't know what was going on so I ran to get away and soon after it felt like something had sucked all the warmth from inside. When I woke up later it felt like something guided me to you."

Green eyes stared at her as she finished relating her experience. It was strange knowing that they had each been completely unaware of what they were doing when they had found each other.

After a long silence Orihime heard Ulquiorra say barely above a whisper, "Thank you."

She turned her eyes to his and looked at him for a few seconds then let a smile form on her face. Something strange stirred in her stomach as she looked at him. She had an overwhelming urge to put her hand to his cheek but she resisted the urge and turned her face to look out over the cliff. The dark cloud that Ulquiorra had seen earlier was closer than before and Orihime said, "I think we better get going. That cloud doesn't look very good and we have a long way to go back."

Ulquiorra grabbed the bag and threw it on his back. They walked back to the trail and started climbing down the same way they came up. It was much quicker going down and soon they were on the dirt trail and heading back to the hotel. Half way back they felt the first drops of rain. The trees covered a large amount of the rain but by the time they got back to the hotel they were both drenched and Orihime was laughing as she ran down the hallway.

They closed the door behind them when they got into the room and Ulquiorra's eyes couldn't resist running down the length of her body. Her shirt and shorts were completely soaked through and clung to her body like a second layer of skin. Her hair lay in wet strands down the side of her face and with every step she took a squishing sound accompanied the movement.

"Well that was fun," she said and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Ulquiorra wasn't in full agreement but didn't think it was horribly bad. "We should go swimming since we're already wet. I saw a sign for an indoor pool when we were in the lobby."

Ulquiorra tried to be agreeable and said, "Ok onna."

He was rewarded with a huge smile and Orihime quickly started digging through her bag to find her bathing suit. She grabbed the suit she had bought him from his bag while she was there and threw it over to him. "I'll change in the bathroom and you can change in here. I'll knock before I come out."

As soon as the door was closed Ulquiorra struggled to get out of the wet jeans and had just pulled the swim shorts up to his waist when a knock rang out on the door. "It's fine. You can come out," he said.

Orihime walked out in a sheer black cover-up and had two towels draped over her arm. Ulquiorra's stomach tightened with the view and he stumbled to try to follow her out of the room.

They followed the signs to the indoor pool and found it a few minutes later. The pool was the size of a 5 lane lap pool and there was a circle off on the side which Orihime could see was a Jacuzzi. The entire room was lined in a continuous bench so Orihime dropped their towels on the bench next to the Jacuzzi and lifted her cover up over her head.

Ulquiorra's mouth dropped at the sight of Orihime in her tiny pink bathing suit. The thin strings that held her top up strained and he thought they were going to break apart any second. Her tiny waist enhanced the lush curve of her hips and he watched those hips sway towards the water and step inside. When she was sitting chest deep in the water, she turned and looked at Ulquiorra with a casual smile. "Are you coming in?"

He grabbed his shirt and lifted it over his head and walked over to the water and let himself sink inside. The water was scalding hot and it took several seconds to get used to it. Soon though he was settled into the tile bench under the water and he sat a few feet away from the woman.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Mhmm," he answered and sunk further into the water till it was at the same level as his neck.

"I can't believe we have the whole place to ourselves. Maybe everyone else got caught in the rain too," she giggled.

Orihime watched Ulquiorra sink further and further into the hot water. His forehead started to bead with sweat from the heat and his hair started to get damp and cling to this side of his face and head. She was thankful that she couldn't see his body anymore because the sight had nearly left her breathless when she had watched him pull his shirt over his head. The muscles in his stomach had clenched with his movements and her fingers remembered how it had felt to rub against that perfectly smooth skin. She sat on her fingers and tried to think about something else.

"How old are you Ulquiorra?" she asked. It was a completely random question she knew but it was the first thing that popped in her mind after she'd sought to change the direction of her thoughts.

"To be honest, I don't know. You don't really age in Hueco Mundo and time passes by so differently there." He thought back to his time in Las Noches and felt his mood darken and he quickly tried to lighten it up. "Why don't you guess my age and that will be how old I am?"

Orihime liked this and started to think. Ulquiorra watched her face as she concentrated and it was almost amusing how serious she looked as she pondered the question.

"Hmm… well you don't look too much older than me. But you act a lot older than me. Then again, most of my friends act a lot older than me so I guess I just don't act my age. How about… 20? That would make you two years older than me. Does that sound good?" she asked.

"Alright, I'm 20 years old," he said and sighed in the water.

After a few minutes, Ulquiorra felt a little too warm and decided to climb over the edge of the Jacuzzi that connected to the pool. He slid into the cool water and watched as Orihime stood up to join him. When she stepped over the edge, her foot slid and she went tumbling back into the water. With a loud splash she went sputtering into the water and Ulquiorra reached his hands out instinctively to help her up though he was sure she was quite capable of getting back up herself.

Orihime laughed as her face surfaced and started splashing Ulquiorra. He stood there for the first few splashes but eventually he grabbed Orihime's hand and pulled her towards him so that he could grab the other hand. Instead, her whole body jerked forward and she was pressed against the front of his. Both their eyes flew open at the contact and neither could seem to move. The rise and fall of their chests made the water around them lap gently against them and they stared at each other.

With each breath Orihime took, Ulquiorra could feel her body slide slowly up and down his. His palms itched to circle around her back and crush her against him and her eyes stared at him with something in them that he'd never seen before. He lowered his gaze to look at her full pink lips that were beaded with tiny drops of water. His head began to tilt forward before he realized what he was doing but suddenly he felt her body quake against him and he pulled his head back and took a step away.

Orihime felt a pang of loss when he backed up and shook herself to get rid of the thoughts running through her head. When his face had started to slowly lower towards hers she had felt something in her gut clench. It had been surprisingly pleasant and her body had started to shake with anticipation. She now felt cold with the loss of his body against hers. She decided to step back into the Jacuzzi.

Ulquiorra watched her wade over to the edge and then climb back over to the hot tub. He had been so stupid to do what he'd just done. He hadn't thought before he'd leaned forward and now he had visibly upset her. His stomach twisted a little with the knowledge.

After a few minutes, Orihime had collected what few brain cells were still working in her head and turned to look at Ulquiorra who was still in the cooler water. He was still standing in the same spot but he face was lost in thought. His arms were wrapped around his chest and she could see tiny bumps beginning to form on his arms from the cool air. "Hey Ulquiorra,why don't you come back in here. You look like you're cold."

Ulquiorra had to agree and started to climb back over into the hot tub.

"How about after we leave here we go to the restaurant near the lobby? I'm starting to get hungry already," suggested Orihime.

Ulquiorra nodded, not wanting to turn his head and look at her face.

A little bit later they left the pool area and headed back to their rooms to change and get ready to go out to dinner.

**If you have a moment, go check out the Mohonk Mountain House. It's an incredibly beautiful hotel in the Catskill Mountains and the rock scrambling place is a real place. You can look that up too if you're curious. It's a lot of fun.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"So what do you think?" asked Orihime as she emerged from the bathroom.

Ulquiorra turned his gaze in her direction and watched her twirl around in a small circle. Her mid-thigh length skirt fluttered up as she spun around and revealed a bit more of her slender thigh. The black fabric draped over every curve of her body and the bodice strained with the effort of containing her large bosom as she stopped and stood in front of him. He fought to remove his eyes from her body and lifted his head up to her smiling face.

Orihime didn't bother waiting for a response from him since she didn't really expect him to answer and continued saying, "I never get to dress up like this. It's going to be so much fun."

She rummaged through Ulquiorra's bag and pulled out a simple white button up shirt and black pants. She laid them out on the bed and furrowed her brow as she looked down at the outfit. Her hands dug back inside the bag and sifted around until she found a black leather belt with a silver buckle and threw it on the bed along with the clothing. "Alright well, that'll have to do."

Ulquiorra bent over and picked up the pile from the mattress and walked into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later and Orihime looked at him with a frown on her face.

"Can you tuck in your shirt? You look too frumpy like that," said Orihime.

Ulquiorra started pushing the fabric beneath the waist band of his pants and Orihime watched as his hand pressed against his covered flat stomach. Her eyes were glued to his motions and she felt saliva build up in her mouth. When he was finished tucking in his shirt, Orihime stared at his narrow hips which were displayed advantageously in the semi-dressy outfit. She felt a flush coming to her face and she walked around Ulquiorra's side, pretending to view the backside of his shirt to make sure it was tucked in correctly. Her eyes followed the line of his belt and she couldn't help but gaze down at the curve of his backside.

She shook her head and nearly slapped herself for the direction of her thoughts. 'Was she really looking at Ulquiorra's butt?' She giggled at her own question and Ulquiorra turned around to see what was so funny.

He felt self-conscious as he stood there and listened to the woman laugh behind him. He'd never realized his body was amusing. The thought made him slightly angry and a frown creased his brow as he turned to look at Orihime.

"Oh I'm sorry," said Orihime quickly when she saw the look on his face. "I was thinking of something else and it made me laugh. I wasn't laughing at you. You look great!" She hoped he didn't notice the heat spreading across her face.

Ulquiorra stood stiffly in the center of the room and watched the woman pick out a pair of black leather shoes and hand them over to him. He tied them up as he watched Orihime slide on a pair of strappy red heals and stood up, adjusting her dress and running a hand through her long hair. She grabbed a small purse and the two headed out the door and started walking towards the lobby.

They watched a couple walk in ahead of them and waited to be shown to a table. They were seated next to a window and Orihime looked out at the rain as it pelted the surface of the lake. A narrow path was lit up by small lights that ran along its edge as it curved around the lake.

"Hmm, what should I have to eat?" wondered Orihime aloud as she opened her menu and started browsing through the selections. She looked over at Ulquiorra who hadn't touched his menu yet and smiled to herself as she continued to look through. When a waiter came to take their order, as expected, Ulquiorra just said he would have what she ordered and Orihime giggled as the man left their table.

The waiter brought them a basket of assorted rolls and a small plate of butter and Orihime dug right in and started tasting all the different types. She moaned after the first bite of each kind and every time she held out the piece for Ulquiorra to try as well. He found that he enjoyed most of the doughy substances that she passed over to him and it seemed to make her happy to see him react positively. Orihime's small fingers held out a crumbly piece towards him and when he went to try to take it from her, the substance started to break apart so instead she just pushed her fingers to his lips and coaxed him to open his mouth. She popped it into his mouth but when his lips closed to capture the food her fingers brushed against his warm lips and they both jolted at the contact. Orihime sat back in her seat with a blush as sparks seemed to spread up her arm. She reached a hand back to scratch at the back of her head and bit the side of her lip with her teeth and waited in silence until the waiter came with their food.

When their food was brought out, they both started in immediately and Orihime barely stopped to breathe as she shoveled in the delicious cuisine in front of her. Ulquiorra watched her take her last bite and lean back in her seat with a contented smile spreading over her face. Her hand rubbed her flat stomach and she waited for him to finish.

After Ulquiorra dropped his fork and pushed the plate of food away from him, the waiter came back over and held out a small menu with pictures of different types of dessert. Orihime browsed through the selections and picked out a chocolate type dessert and a lemon flavored cake. When the waiter returned with their dessert, he placed both plates in the center of the table and left. Ulquiorra didn't think he could take another bite as he looked at the two plates in front of him. He heard the woman moan as she slid her fork out of her mouth and then pushed the plate closer to him as she said, "You gotta try this. It's incredible."

He shook his head and Orihime frowned from the other side of the table though he knew she wasn't really upset. She took several large bites of each of the desserts and finally sat back with a long sigh. "You have to at least take one bite of each. It's a sin to have such good food go to waste."

Ulquiorra picked up his fork and took one bite of each. He had to admit that he liked both of them, especially the chocolate cake so he ate a few more bites and watched Orihime's lips turn up in a big smile. "See, I knew you'd like it."

They paid for their food and left the restaurant. Orihime wasn't ready to go back to their room yet so she asked Ulquiorra if he minded if they just took a walk around the place. It was still raining outside so they followed the hallways inside. The place was laid out like an old fortress. Nothing seemed to follow the usual squared off pathways that most modern day buildings did today so they soon found themselves in a completely foreign area. When they thought they were lost, Ulquiorra found a sign that pointed them down a different hallway which would lead them back to the lobby. As they turned down the hallway, their arms brushed each other's and they both tried to ignore the electricity that seemed to form between them as they continued down the hall.

Orihime looked over at Ulquiorra who stared straight ahead down the hallway; his hands shoved inside his pants pockets. "I uh… I had fun today," she said and then tripped over her own feet. Ulquiorra reached an arm out and grabbed her as she fell forward. His arm snaked around her waist to support her and Orihime quickly steadied herself against him and turned bright red. "Sorry. I'm so clumsy sometimes."

His arm slowly left her waist and he stared down into her shadowed face lit only by a few electric candles hanging on the wall nearby. Even in the poor lighting he could see the blush spreading across her face and he pushed his hands back into his pockets to let her move away. She didn't immediately step away and he was confused by her hesitation. Suddenly her body swayed slightly towards him and her hands reached out to press against his chest. Her face was tilted downwards and a few strands of hair slid down her forehead to cover her face.

"Onna?" he said quietly as she stood there unmoving. He watched her chest start to rise and fall rapidly and he felt his own breathing quicken. His hands wanted to leave his pockets and press themselves against her curvaceous form and without thought his right hand lifted and gently touched the curve of her waist. Her eyes turned up to look into his and a wave of strange feelings washed over him.

Orihime felt her body pulse under his gaze. The hand sitting on her waist felt like molten lava and she had an overwhelming urge to press herself against the body in front of her. Instead her fingers curled against his shirt and grabbed a handful of the fabric. She closed her eyes tightly to try and control the feelings running through her and then Ulquiorra's other hand was reaching up and pressing on the other side of her waist. Her heart thudded rapidly in her chest and beneath her hands she could feel his heart beating furiously as well. She tilted her face and started to raise herself up on when suddenly a boisterous laugh floated down the hallway and an instant later a young couple came walking around the corner. Orihime jumped away from Ulquiorra and started to walk briskly down the hallway, passing the loud couple and walking straight into another couple as she turned the corner. She apologized profusely and continued walking until they were back in their room.

Ulquiorra watched the woman grab her pajamas and close the door behind her as she entered the bathroom. He couldn't help but notice how frazzled she looked before closing the door.

With a loud sigh, Ulquiorra sat back on the mattress and ran a hand through his hair. His body still felt strange in certain places and an uncomfortable ache had formed near his groin. He was completely beyond his experience when it came to understanding emotions and the strange sensations running through his body puzzled him. When Orihime finally came out of the bathroom she smiled nervously at him and said, "You can change now if you want. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

He watched her walk over to the other bed and pulled the covers back. She slid underneath and turned her back towards him and he wondered if he had upset her. With a shrug of his shoulders, he got up and quickly changed then went to his own bed. He lay there most of the night, thinking about the few moments in the hallway, tossing and turning the entire night. Sleep didn't find him until way later in the night and when he woke up the next morning he didn't feel rested at all. He could hear the woman in the other bed, squirming around and he poked an eye open to see what was bothering her.

With a huff, Orihime shifted to her back and lay staring at the ceiling. She could hear Ulquiorra moving around in the bed next to her but she didn't dare look over at him. She still felt incredibly embarrassed by her wanton display last night and had barely been able to sleep because of it. When she felt the mattress shift beneath her, she turned her head and saw Ulquiorra kneeling on the bed beside her. His eyes stared at her with a look of concern and her gut twisted pleasantly.

"Are you ok onna?" he asked and settled himself into a kneeling crouch on the edge of her bed.

She nodded her head in answer and then said, "You can call me Orihime. People might start finding it strange if you keep calling me that," she said with a soft smile.

He nodded in acceptance and rose off of the bed and quietly walked to the bathroom to shower and change. When he walked out, Orihime was standing with her back to him, staring out the window. She turned her head and smiled when she heard him close the door behind him and she asked, "Would you like to go to the lake today?"

"That sounds fine… Orihime," he answered, hesitating only a moment before saying her name.

"Great! Let me go get ready. You'll have to change again, sorry."

He was glad to see the woman happy again. The thought of her being uncomfortable because of him unsettled him. She was always so kind and genuinely nice to everyone and she didn't deserve to have someone like him ruin her vacation.

When Orihime bounced out of the bathroom in a pair of jean shorts and a white t-shirt he was already changed into his own swim trunks so they left the room and walked downstairs to the continental breakfast. Orihime had a pike of fruit on her plate along with several slices of French toast, a few slices of bacon and a blueberry muffin. Ulquiorra was still astounded by the amount of food she was able to eat

"Oof, I'm full," she said as she pushed her seat back and dropped her fork to her plate. Ulquiorra finished soon after and they got up to leave. They found their way to the back exit and walked towards the lake.

Orihime saw a stretch of sand by the water and wondered if they imported the sand there since it seemed odd in a setting like that. Directly in front of them was a little dock and a sign read,

_**Boat Rentals**_

_**Row boats and Paddle boats **_

_**No time limits**_

Ulquiorra felt a tug on his arm and turned to look in the direction she pointed. "I've always wanted to go on a paddle boat! Can we please?" she asked, practically jumping up and down in her excitement.

"It's not my decision Orihime," he answered which caused Orihime to frown slightly.

He saw the frown and tried to further explain, "I will do whatever makes you happy."

She clapped her hands and started skipping down to the dock. An extremely tanned old gentleman was there and smiled at her approach. Ulquiorra watched the man's eyes travel down the woman's body appreciatively and Ulquiorra felt his hands ball into fists at his side.

"We'd like to rent a paddle boat please," said Orihime. Ulquiorra stood a bit closer to her side than he normally would.

The man walked over to a line of square blue boats that floated against a long thin dock. He walked all the way to the last one and started pulling a rope from the post nearby. He threw the rope onto the back of the paddle boat and turned to them to ask, "What's your room number?"

"328. Do I need to sign anything?" asked Orihime.

"Nope, you are all set. Have fun!" the man called out and then turned to walk back to the front of the dock where another group waited.

Orihime put one foot on the boat and braced herself as it started to wobble in the water. She quickly sat down and then turned to watch Ulquiorra get in. He seemed to have less trouble than her and soon they were trying to figure out how to back the thing up and start moving. It took them a while to figure out how to keep the boat going straight but they eventually found a rhythm and soon they were floating along at a steady pace to the center of the lake. When the got there, they stopped peddling and Orihime leaned back in her seat to enjoy the light breeze flying over the water. Her arm brushed against Ulquiorra's and she didn't bother moving it as she enjoyed the moment.

Ulquiorra stared down at where their arms met. Her hand moved slightly and was now touching the side of his palm. His hand flexed at the contact and slowly her little finger slid over his upturned palm. Her fingers ran along the length of his hand till the tips of her fingers were along side his and then her entire hand was covering his. The fingers above his curled slightly and pressed in between his, sliding down until she was holding his hand in a light grasp.

He let out the breath he'd been holding in and continued to stare at their connected hands. It was just like the magazine he had seen. 'Maybe friends did do this?' he thought. All he knew was that a curious feeling traveled up and down his body and he didn't want her to let go. He tried to relax and leaned back in his seat like the woman next to him. The boat rocked from his shifting weight and Orihime's hand grasped his a little bit tighter.

A while later, Orihime lifted her head and turned to look at Ulquiorra who was still leaning back next to her in his seat. She smiled at their conjoined hands and squeezed till he looked over at her. "Let's do a lap around the lake," she suggested.

Ulquiorra started peddling when she did and soon they were moving slowly across the lake. When they got to the far end, Orihime saw a bunch of people jumping off of a rocky cliff into the lake and she was really curious so she asked Ulquiorra if they could go closer. She observed the group of local teenagers and hollered out when they were close enough, "Can we try that too?"

The group of boys bobbed their heads enthusiastically and Orihime turned to Ulquiorra with a smile. "You don't mind do you?"

With a shake of his head, they moved the boat to a shallower spot and then Orihime took off her clothes so that all she had left on was the suit underneath and Ulquiorra pulled off his t-shirt. Each dove out into the water and swam to the shore. Ulquiorra tried not to be disappointed that their hands were no longer holding each others but when they started walking up the path to the cliff, Orihime needed help climbing over some rocks and he had to pull her up. After she had successfully scaled the rocks, she didn't let go of his hand as they neared the small group.

The teenage boys openly gawked at Orihime as her and Ulquiorra approached. Ulquiorra's hand clench around hers tighter and tried not to let the anger bubbling up inside of him show. "Let's take a look," she suggested and pulled him along with her to the edge. It was easily 45-50 feet down and Orihime laughed nervously as she looked down.

They moved to the side when one of the boys decided he wanted to show off and ran and jumped over the edge doing a back flip into the cool water below. Orihime released Ulquiorra's hand and took a step back. She looked over at him and giggled before taking a step forward and jumping over the edge. Ulquiorra took a quick step forward to look down into the lake and saw Orihime's head bob back up to the surface. She turned her head back to look up and a huge grin spread across her face as she said, "Now it's your turn Ulquiorra. It's really fun!"

The other boys at the top were looking down at Orihime and making some comments that Ulquiorra didn't find appropriate at all. He glared at the group and jumped in behind her. When he came up to the surface, Orihime swam over to him and giggled, "Wasn't that fun? Maybe we can come back later when no one's here."

Ulquiorra nodded and followed her back to their boat. It was difficult to get back inside from the water but they both managed eventually and soon they were paddling back towards the other end of the lake where the beach and dock were. After quite a long time, they arrived at the dock and relinquished their paddle boat to the tanned man. They walked over to the sandy area and found two empty beach chairs and threw their stuff on to them. Orihime ran into the water and dove in once the water was up to mid thigh. She turned back to look at Ulquiorra when she came up for air and watched him wade slowly out. He stopped when he got to about waist high and Orihime dove back over to his side.

"This water feels great," she said and started floating along the surface. As hard as he tried, he couldn't keep himself from looking at her breasts as they peaked above the water. He swallowed and turned to walk out of the water. As he walked towards the shore Orihime shouted, "Where are you going?"

He called over his should that he was going to sit down for a while and Orihime splashed her way out of the water to follow him. She stood in front of him as he sat down on the wooden lounge chair and Ulquiorra had to block out the sun with his hand to see her face as she said, "Are you ok?"

"Yes I'm fine," he answered.

"Um… ok," she said and took the seat next to him. They sat out there for a while but soon Orihime started fidgeting in her seat. She turned her head and asked him, "Would you mind if we went to that town we passed on the way here? I wanna look in some of the shops."

"That's fine," he answered and started grabbing their things. They walked back inside the hotel and went inside their room. They both changed out of their bathing suits and soon were heading out the hotel door and jumping into the taxi that the front desk had ordered for them. Fifteen minutes later they were pulling up in front of a small shopping plaza with hanging plants lining the walkway and wooden sculptures of wild animals. Orihime walked into the first shop they came across and started browsing through all the handmade jewelry and crafts. Store after store was filled with unique little trinkets and handcrafted knickknacks which Orihime absolutely adored.

When they came to a little shop that sold tie dyed shirts, Orihime browsed through the racks till she found one her size and purchased it. She practically skipped down the sidewalk as they looked for a place to eat.

They entered a small pub on a corner and were seated in a large booth. They both ordered burgers and waited for their food to come out. Orihime looked over at Ulquiorra on the other side of the table and let her eyes scan over his perfect pale skin and then looked up into his deep green eyes. He was staring back at her and their eyes met for a moment before Orihime smiled and shyly moved her eyes to the table.

Ulquiorra watched the woman's eyes fall and he wondered what she was thinking. Her fingers twisted nervously in front of her on the table and her eyebrows started to knit with concentration. She hesitated a moment before she said, "I um, I was wondering if we could do this thing tonight that I saw posted in the hotel. It's a… it's a starlight dinner thing where you sit out next to the lake and they serve you dinner under the stars and play music. It looked really neat and I was hoping you wouldn't mind going."

Ulquiorra wondered why the woman was so nervous about just asking him to dinner when he'd eaten with her during every meal so far since they'd found each other. When she started biting her lip he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you nervous about asking me to dinner? Is it somehow different than other times we eat together?"

Orihime laughed nervously and said, "I'm pretty obvious aren't I. Well um… this dinner is kind of for… a… couples." She quickly held out her hands and continued, "Not that I think we are a couple but it just sounds so neat and I bet it's just beautiful out there and I'd really like to do it. You won't have to do anything I promise."

He nodded his head and said sure as the waiter brought their food and left after placing a dish in front of each of them. Orihime beamed on the other side of the table and smiled at him before picking up her burger and taking a huge bite.

They finished their food and called a cab to take them back to the hotel. Orihime put her purchases down on the floor next to her suitcase and started to excitedly rummage through them to pull out one of the dresses Ulquiorra remembered watching her buy earlier that day. "I get to dress up two nights in a row. This is so exciting!" she said and closed the door behind her.

**Not the greatest place to end, I know but I didn't wanna go any farther because then I'd be sucked into another scene and I'd never get to bed.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Orihime held up the green sequined dress in front of her and smiled in appreciation at the beautiful fabric. The dress had instantly caught her attention when they had wandered into a little shop earlier that day. The price had been a little bit more than she was used to paying but she'd just had to have it. The color of the fabric was almost exactly the same color as Ulquiorra's eyes and the sequin added that little bit of intensity that she so often saw as she looked at him.

She stepped into the thin fabric and pulled the straps up over her shoulders then reached around to the back to try and zip it up. She twisted and squirmed her body till she was able to zip it up part of the way then had to maneuver her hands around a different way till she was able to zip it all the way up. Her hands slid down her body as she tried to straighten the dress out and settle it in the right places. When she was satisfied, she turned to the large mirror and assessed the reflection. She was disappointed by how deep the neckline was which showed a bit too much cleavage in her opinion but the rest of the dress fit perfectly. 'This night has to be perfect,' she thought as she appraised herself one last time then opened the door to see Ulquiorra kneeling in front of his luggage, pulling out a pile of clothes. He looked up at her with a frustrated look which quickly changed to something she wasn't able to name.

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime as she stood in front of him. He had been trying to pick out something to wear for the evening but finding it difficult since usually Orihime took care of that for him. His frustration vanished at the sight of her standing there and he watched her smile and kneel down next to him. She quickly pulled out a black polo shirt and a pair of light khaki pants and handed them over to him with the same black leather belt that he wore the previous evening. "This should be fine," she said then continued, "It's going to be warm outside so you don't want to wear anything too heavy."

"Thanks," he mumbled, tearing his gaze from her and walking into the bathroom to change.

Orihime didn't know why she was so nervous as she sat there waiting for him to finish changing. It's not like they were going as a real couple or anything. Still though, the thoughts of the other evening when she had felt like her body had acted without her brains consent and had nearly kissed him filled her mind as she waited. Her hands started to shake in her lap as she remembered how her body had responded to his innocent touch. The strong desire that had coursed through her, driving her to press her body against his was something completely foreign to her. Never had she experienced something like that before. She remembered a time when she had longed to kiss Kurosaki-kun but that was so long ago and it had never felt anything like what had transpired last night. It had been so innocent what she had felt for Ichigo. He was her first crush which had been ever so enticing since he had been that boy that she would never be able to have. It seemed silly now as she thought back. If only she had known what she knew now which still was only a very small amount. She knew she was extremely naïve and innocent when it came to anything of a sexual nature. Up until she was 16 she had thought that kissing with your tongue could make you pregnant. That untruth had been shattered while she sat in health class her sophomore year. What an embarrassment that had been.

She didn't feel embarrassed now though. She knew now what her body was feeling when it had begged to be crushed against Ulquiorra's hard form. It surprised her that she had wanted it so badly. Her lips had tingled at the thought of touching his and the knowledge that this was Ulquiorra she was feeling these things for absolutely astonished her. At the time she had been acting purely on instinct and when the laughter had intruded into her brain and slipped through the lust clouded fog, she'd panicked. She'd done the only thing she'd been able to do… run.

The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts as Ulquiorra walked out from the bathroom. As always, the sight of him made her breath catch in her throat and the butterflies that had already been fluttering in her stomach started to fly madly around. She smoothed the dress in her lap with her hands before she slowly stood up and grabbed her small purse. "Are you ready to go?" she asked.

Ulquiorra nodded his head, a piece of black hair falling over his eyes, and followed Orihime as she walked out of their room. They wound their way through the hallways till they found the doors that led outside to the back. A lady in a black and white formal uniform was waiting outside and showed them immediately to a small table beside the path that wound its way around the lake. The small garden table had a pretty white candle in the center as its only source of light and a bunch of white lilies surrounded the candle to make a very elegant centerpiece.

They took their seats and listened as the lady went over the different dishes they were offering that night. Orihime picked one and once again, Ulquiorra said he'd have the same thing before the lady left them alone.

Orihime smiled shyly over at Ulquiorra and found herself bumbling through her head for something to say. "Maybe we could uh.. take a walk around the lake after we finish eating," she suggested and then nearly smacked herself when she realized what she'd done. The reminder of their walk the previous evening blared in her mind. Ulquiorra's face didn't register anything noticeable as he nodded his head in answer. Before she was able to say anything else, the waiter brought them a dish with different slices of cheeses and several different types of crackers lined around its outside. Orihime quickly made a sandwich of sorts and popped the food into her mouth. The food settled her nerves a little and she started to feel a little bit more comfortable.

"Mmm, you should try this. It's really good," she commented as she grabbed another cracker and piece of cheese. Ulquiorra's long pale fingers reached out and picked up a piece of cheese. He ate it quickly and Orihime waited as he chewed and then swallowed. He saw her look of interest and nodded his head in agreement with her; it was pretty good.

The smile she gave him made a wave of warmth pass through him and he wondered how it could be so easy to make the woman happy. It seemed like it made her happy just to see him find something pleasing.

The amount of light that the candle emitted had annoyed him at first but now he felt himself transfixed by the shadows that played over the woman's face. The light highlighted the plains and angles of her face and the soft glow made the natural blush on her cheeks radiate warmly. He never knew what to say in situations like these. It seemed like ever since he'd reunited with the woman he'd been at a loss for words. He had never been one for any sort of small talk and the few conversations that they had had before were always full of malevolence and despair, at least on his end. She had been the first person to make him doubt his perception on the world. Her utterly devastating trust in her friends had confounded him. He'd never seen someone so devoutly faithful in her feelings before. His world had only been filled with immature Neanderthals who turned on one another in a heartbeat if the opportunity arose. What kind of bond could you make with people like that?

Still though, he knew it wasn't just the fact that Orihime was human that had made her that way. He saw the same backstabbing and unfaithfulness in humans everywhere he went. She was the one that was different. She was the one that deserved only the best people to surround her which was why it pained him so much to be around her sometimes. He knew he didn't deserve her kindness. Even when he tried to be nice to her he found himself utterly disastrous at it and to top it all off, he couldn't stop himself from lusting after the woman. That was the ultimate low. He was now what he used to consider other people, trash. To be so naïve as to interpret friendship from the woman as something more intimate was beyond contemptible. But every time her perfect skin brushed against his or whenever she looked at him with that brilliant smile, he just couldn't control himself. He wanted to fall into her perfection. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame; no, more like a vampire to a supple young beating heart. His instincts would rage from within and he would lose control over himself. But he couldn't do that to her. He couldn't tarnish that perfection.

The waiter's arrival with their food intruded on his thoughts and he was thankful for the interruption. He hadn't noticed earlier but the woman was staring at him in concern. Clearly he'd let his emotions show a little too much while his thoughts had wandered. 'When had she become so perceptive,' he wondered.

"So," said Orihime when the waiter left, "what do you want to do tomorrow?"

He looked at the woman and shrugged in his normal manner of answer. He watched her lips thin out briefly before she said, "Well I've been the one making all the plans so far and it's not fair since this is your vacation too. I want to know what you would like to do."

Ulquiorra placed his fork gently on his plate and looked up at the woman before he answered, "I am only here because you asked me to come. I will do whatever it is you want to do. I have no need to do anything."

Orihime nearly growled in frustration at his answer. He was impossible sometimes. "What if what I want to do is what you want to do?"

Ulquiorra turned his head questioningly at her strange statement and tried to figure out what it was she was trying to say. He didn't want to insult her so he said, "I am no good at making decisions like that. That's why I leave it up to you to decide."

"But there has to be something you would like to try or do. You have to come up with something or we will just have to sit around the hotel room all day until you do," Orihime thought she had won the argument but when she saw him shrug again and pick up his fork she sighed. "You're impossible."

He felt bad for disappointing her. It was just like him to act this way. This was the perfect opportunity for him to make her happy and he was destroying it. His mind searched frantically for a way to save the situation and he blurted out, "Rock scrambling."

Orihime's head jerked up in response to his sudden statement. An instant later a huge smile appeared on her face and he felt a moment's content that he had been the cause of that.

"Sounds perfect!" she said and started back on her food.

The rest of the meal went by quietly with Orihime completely absorbed with the food in front of her and Ulquiorra completely absorbed with the woman. She was such a puzzle to him.

When the music started, they watched a few couples leave their tables and head for a small wooden platform near the lake. Orihime didn't entertain for a moment asking Ulquiorra to dance. Just the thought made her giggle and she had to quickly cover her mouth as Ulquiorra's questioning stare turned towards her.

She watched the other couples place their hands gently on their partners and start to move gracefully across the floor. Dancing had never been a natural thing for her. She always spent more time worrying about what she was doing rather than enjoying the dance itself. At the conclusion of the first song, Orihime turned her eyes back to the man sitting in front of her and asked, "Did you want dessert? I think I'm going to pass this time."

Ulquiorra was a bit shocked to hear that she was going to pass up any type of food, much less dessert. "I don't need dessert."

"Would you mind going for a walk then?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded and she watched him stand up and walk towards the pathway. She quickly followed and caught up to walk alongside of him. His eyes stared straight ahead as they made their way down the cement path and Orihime was extremely conscious of his arm swinging easily by his side. She wanted to reach out and grasp his hand again. It had taken an inhuman amount of courage to do it earlier and she just wasn't feeling the same confidence so she just swung her arm stiffly by her side.

Ulquiorra was aware of how tense the woman was. She seemed to be inwardly debating something and he wondered if he was the cause of such tumultuous thoughts. He thought back to earlier when they'd been out on the paddle boat and how relaxed she had been when she'd taken his hand into hers. 'Would it work if he did it to her?'

His fingers reached out and brushed against the tops of hers. He heard a sharp intake of breath come from the woman and he quickly pulled his hand back and shoved it in his pocket.

Orihime watched the pale hand disappear and she felt an overwhelming disappointment flood her body. She could kick herself for her reaction. It had just taken her so much by surprise that she had reacted without thought. 'Damn her innocence!'

They continued down the path, both acutely aware of the other as they turned around a small bend. Another couple walked closely together ahead and they had to move to the side to allow them to pass. Orihime's heal sunk down into the dirt and she clutched at the closest thing she could find to try to keep herself from landing in a heap on the ground.

Ulquiorra reached out his arm when he saw the woman stumble and placed his other hand around her waist to steady her. Her feet found solid ground and he released her as she backed away, staring at the ground and scratching the back of her head. "S… sorry," she said.

"It's ok. Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded her head and turned to start walking again but before she took a step she reached down and slid both her shoes off her feet and hooked the heal strap around her finger to let them dangle at her side as she went. Ulquiorra was by her side again and when she looked over at him she was glaringly aware of how much taller than her he was. She stared at his hard jaw line and followed its path to the bottom of his ear. Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip and her eyes passed over his cheek to admire his dark lashes. When his eyes darted to the side to look at her she laughed nervously and turned her head back to the path in front of her.

A little farther on, the path curved and to the right and they saw a small clearing between a group of trees and bushes. "Let's go lay down over there and look at the sky," she suggested and didn't wait for a response before she was tugging his arm so that he would follow behind her. She squatted down and felt the ground beneath her then sat down slowly. She leaned back and lay down fully on the ground, crossing her legs and then placing her arms behind her head to support her neck. A loud sigh escaped her lips as she turned her eyes to the sky and looked at the bright stars overhead.

Ulquiorra took a seat next to her, careful not to get too close, and lay back as well. His eyes looked up into the black night and his thoughts started to wander as he let himself relax. 'He could do this,' he thought. 'He could lye down next to the woman and not think about her lustfully.' He took a long, slow breath and tried to concentrate on the stars over head.

His concentration was shattered when the woman rolled over on to her side and looked down at him. Her beautiful face smiled down at him and he could feel the tops of her breasts rub against the side of his ribcage. His hands clenched in the hair behind his head as he tried to control the desire that coursed through him. When her hand reached up and pointed at something in the sky, he could see that she was trying to say something to him but his thoughts were so muddled that he wasn't able to understand a word of it. He turned his head slightly in her direction and said, "What did you say On- Orihime?"

'He seemed distracted,' thought Orihime as she stared down at the moonlit skin beneath her. She was surprised by how enchanting he looked in the dark. His skin seemed to be the perfect compliment to the light shining down from the shadowed moon.

"The ummm… big dipper. Do you see it?" she stutteringly repeated what she had said earlier and pointed in the direction of the constellation. Her arm felt ten times heavier than it had just a few seconds ago and she was acutely aware of his eyes following the length to search in the direction she pointed. She let her hand fall back to her side and turned back over to lye on her back. 'Why did everything feel so strange?' she wondered and pressed her hands to her cheeks. She could feel the heat radiating off her face and with a disgruntled groan she threw her hands back behind her head and stared fixedly up at the sky. She didn't notice the hem of her dress riding significantly higher up her thigh from the jerky movement but when Ulquiorra sat up to scratch a spot on his shin where something had just bit him he certainly noticed.

He forgot about the itch on his leg and let his eyes linger over the exposed area. He'd seen more when she wore her bathing suit but something about it being accidentally peaking out made the skin so much more desirable. 'No. He shouldn't be having thoughts like that,' he told himself. It was unavoidable though. Against the back of his eyelids he painted a canvas of creamy skin and smooth, supple legs. He didn't understand why it was so difficult suddenly to vanquish these thoughts. He'd never taken any interest in the woman in Las Noches. 'Was it because he was… human now?' he wondered but shook his head in answer. Everything had begun the night he'd reached out for her. He knew that from that moment on he'd been lost to this woman. No one could ever be as perfect as her. She was everything he wasn't.

When an excited gasp erupted by his side he turned his head quickly and saw the woman pointing at something in the sky. He moved his eyes to look in the direction she pointed and saw nothing but the same black sky dotted with tiny specks of light.

"A shooting star!" she exclaimed and turned to him with questioning eyes lit up with amazement. "Did you see it?"

He shook his head and listened to Orihime sigh in disappointment. Her face quickly lit up and she smiled back over at him, "Maybe you'll see the next one."

A few minutes went by and they continued to enjoy the sight of the night sky above them. Orihime tried her best to point out what few constellations she knew of but eventually gave up when every time she looked at him she felt the churning in her stomach increase. She knew what she wanted but getting it was a whole different story. Her friends had been so quick to test out their hormones over the past few years but she hadn't felt anything like they had… up until now. She felt impatient at how naïve she was. If only she could be more like the other girls in her school who so boldly flaunted their desires. She wasn't sure when the realization had hit her that she wanted to kiss Ulquiorra but now she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

Without realizing it, her body was turned towards his and her eyes were resting on his cool lips. She wanted to touch those lips so badly. Her fingers had been allowed to caress nearly every inch of his skin except that one area. She fought the urge to lift her hand but couldn't find the energy to roll back over on to her back. Where her fingers weren't able to touch, her eyes did. She looked at his thin lower lip and followed it to the corner of his mouth and then continued the path over his upper lip. She didn't realize she was doing it but her tongue was following the same path over her own lips as her eyes continued to travel over him. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach and that same cloudy feeling was overtaking her mind as she lay there. She thought she would burst if she didn't touch him. Her body started to shake and her hand lifted up slowly without her knowledge.

Ulquiorra watched as the woman's hand moved over his body. He figured she was going to point out another group of stars but when the hand hesitated and started to slowly move downwards instead of up at the sky, his chest tightened and his breathing became shallow and uneven. His eyes were glued to the tiny fingers and his whole body was frozen. If a stampede of elephants came running at him he didn't think he could have moved. When her fingers finally touched his lower lip his eyes closed tightly together and his lungs sucked in a large amount of oxygen. Her fingers finally moved and he released the air from his chest and tried to resist the urge to flip the woman over and press his lips to hers.

Rational thought was a thing of the past for Orihime. Somewhere in the far reaches of her mind, something told her she was insane but it was so distant that she didn't pay it much attention. Her whole being was concentrated on the path her fingers were making. The feel of his lips was something incredible and she couldn't keep her fingers from making a second pass around. Her fingers hesitated on the center of his lower lip and her eyes were distracted by the sight of his adams apple sliding down his throat as he gulped audibly. She subconsciously swallowed the invisible lump in her throat as well and started to move her hand again to trace the rest of the curve of his mouth. As her fingers found the corner, green eyes turned towards hers and her brain dissolved. Whatever sliver of thought had been controlling her actions was vanquished and all she could see was emerald green.

After what must have been a century, Orihime was startled when she felt her chest press against something hard. She had been completely unaware that her body had been inching itself closer to him as she stared into his eyes. The contact didn't slow her though. The pull on her chest was too strong and soon her breasts were pressed tightly against him and her lips were hovering over his. She stared down at him. Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip as she tried to control the frantic beating of her heart. She was so caught up in her own body's reaction that she didn't notice that Ulquiorra's chest was heaving just as frantically as hers. His slightly parted lips sucked in as much air as possible as wave after wave of electricity coursed through his body. He didn't know how long she hovered there, just a breath away from him. Time was non-existent as he stared into her silver eyes.

A tightening in her stomach made her close her eyes momentarily as she waited for the sensation to evaporate but when it never did she slowly opened her eyes back up and was once again lost to his green depths. Her lips lowered fractionally and the first brush of her lips against his sent sparks through her body. She had barely grazed his lower lip with hers but it was enough to make her eyes widen in amazement and press down again to feel more. It felt like she was kissing velvet as her mouth started to move over his. She parted her lips and gently closed them over his lower lip, pulling back just a tiny amount and releasing it. Her eyes left his and lowered to his still parted lips. With a strangled moan she pushed herself more firmly against him and started kissing him with more enthusiasm. Her lips brushed and lifted against his and soon her actions were answered by returning caresses. When his lips parted and she felt the tip of his tongue touch her upper lip she nearly swooned. She felt his tongue travel over her mouth and she finally parted her lips just enough so that he could slide his tongue inside.

Ulquiorra's stomach flipped inside himself when he felt her lips part for him. He slid his tongue deeper into her mouth until he found her own tongue and then licked the tip of hers. He felt her quiver above him and the small sound she made sent heat through his body. He couldn't help the next move he made as his neck arched up to press his mouth more firmly against hers. His arm moved from behind his head and reached up to sift through her silken strands, pulling her closer to him and his searching lips.

Orihime felt the same urgency building up in herself and slid her body over his until she was nearly lying over the top half of his body. Her lips pressed hungrily to his as she tried to devour as much of him as she could. She was unsure of what she was doing but when she sucked his lower lip into her mouth she heard the most amazing sound she had ever heard. The man beneath her sucked in a ragged breath and moaned when she released his lip. His green eyes stared hungrily at her and an instant later the hand behind her head pressed her down and his lips started to ravage her mouth. She tried to match his movements and soon they were panting and moaning in a chorus of desire. She couldn't get enough of him. Every brain cell was focused on his wonderful mouth. She didn't notice the tiny sounds that kept escaping her mouth but Ulquiorra did. His body reacted to every noise she made and soon he was frantic with urgency. He felt her leg start to slide over his and then settle in the small space between his. Her smooth thigh pressed deliciously against his groin and his hips flex up to increase the pressure. He felt her tense slightly with his movements and he had to remind himself that she was completely innocent when it came to things like this. On second thought, he was completely innocent too but at the moment it didn't seem to be hindering either of them. His hand reached down to caress her tiny waist and Orihime lifted her lips from his and stared down at him wide-eyed. Her breathing was still shaky as it slipped through her mouth and her heart was beating frantically against her chest.

When Ulquiorra had pressed his hips against her thigh Orihime had felt a surge of excitement pass through her body. He had wanted her leg there. He'd liked the feeling she had created against him. The knowledge that she had done something to turn him on was intoxicating and she wanted to experience it again. She continued to stare into his shadowed eyes and slowly slid her knee up against his legs and pressed herself against the juncture of his thighs. His emerald eyes clouded with lust and his teeth clenched in response to her actions.

Heat flooded her body as she watched him beneath her. Her lips pressed down and her tongue slid out of her mouth to search out his. He returned her kiss with equal enthusiasm and his hand started to move around her back. His fingers dug into the fabric of her dress and he wanted to run that hand farther down her back but he didn't dare. Instead he kept it no lower than her waist and concentrated on the lips that were driving him insane.

When Ulquiorra's knee bent and her body slid down his thigh, Orihime moaned loudly and her body reflexively pressed down against his leg. She wanted more but somewhere inside her a small piece of sanity still existed and she lifted her head from his and closed her eyes, trying to capture a little bit of control over her body. She concentrated on slowing her breath and then slowly her heart stopped its frantic rhythm and returned to a more normal pace. When she opened her eyes, she was assaulted by two deep set eyes looking at her with so much passion and wanting that she almost gave back in to her desire. She knew she wanted more of him but not yet. She needed time to assess her feelings.

Slowly her leg lifted off of his and she slid her body over to the side so that she wasn't touching him anymore. Sanity started to return and the realization of what had just occurred came crashing over her. She felt a moment's embarrassment but it was quickly wiped away when she watched him close his eyes and take several large breaths as if he was trying to control himself. 'At least she wasn't the only one in that state,' she thought.

After a few minutes, Orihime said, "That was… nice."

'That was the understatement of the year,' Ulquiorra thought but answered instead with, "Mhmm."

Orihime smiled and leaned over him to place a quick kiss to his lips. She watched his eyes widen in shock as she pulled back and she giggled at his response. It felt good to do something to him that rattled his normally cool demeanor. She slowly got to her feet and Ulquiorra got up as well. They started heading back towards their table without a word spoken between them but a thousand words were spoken silently in their heads.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Chapter 11**

"Ulquiorra… are you asleep?" Orihime asked from the other bed. He heard the rustle of bed sheets as she shifted her body to lie on her side towards his bed.

"No Orihime, I'm still awake," he answered.

"Good!" she exclaimed and the bed squeaked as she nearly jumped to a sitting position and folded her legs beneath her on the bed. Ulquiorra turned towards the apparently hyper woman and let his gaze settle over her wide eyed face.

"I don't know about you but I'm not tired at all. I feel like I could go out and run a marathon. What are you thinking about?" she said as she looked across the small expanse between their beds.

"I'm thinking about why you are asking me what I'm thinking about?" he answered.

Orihime creased her brow as she thought about what he'd just said. "Well then that's what you are thinking now. I asked what you were thinking before I asked the question," she said, proud that she'd been able to answer the confusing question.

Ulquiorra grunted, amused at her answer and tried to think of an adequate lie to respond to her question because he certainly couldn't tell her the truth. There was no way he could tell her that he was thinking about how incredible her lips had felt against his. And he certainly wasn't going to tell her that he'd been thinking about her perfect body pressed against his. "I was thinking about our train ride tomorrow." Good enough lie he thought.

"Oh well that's boring," she said in response. "At least we don't have to wake up as early as last time. The shuttle doesn't even leave here until 9:30am." Orihime fidgeted with her pajama shorts and peaked over at Ulquiorra who was now lying down with his eyes closed. "Well I'm gonna go see if the little shop downstairs is still open and see if I can get a magazine or something to read. I'll be right back," Ulquiorra listened to the woman and then opened his eyes to watch as she threw a sweatshirt over her head and headed out of the room.

She had been extremely quiet when they had found their way back to their table after 'stargazing' and then headed to their room. For some reason though, as soon as the door had closed behind them she had turned into a ball of energy. He had first watched her dart around the room, picking up this and that and folding dirty clothes then throwing them in a bag. After that she had sat on the bed and flipped through the 250 channels at least 3 times. This entire time she had been chatting non-stop about this and that until finally she'd gone into the bathroom to take her nightly shower. The chatter had started right back up as soon as she emerged from the bathroom and even when she lay down to go to sleep it hadn't stopped.

It didn't bother him listening to the woman but he didn't like the cause of it. He knew she was nervous and awkward around him now since their kiss and he didn't like making her feel uncomfortable. As much as he tried to ignore the feeling, he couldn't help but hope she didn't regret what had happened.

Down in the hotel store, Orihime browsed through the racks of magazines until she found one that said, _10 Ways to Drive Your Man Crazy with Desire._ 'That sounded interesting,' she thought and picked it up. She knew she was extremely inexperienced when it came to things of a sexual nature. She had kissed Ulquiorra with just pure instinct leading her way and even though it had been immensely satisfying for her she worried that he would have found it… lacking. She knew she wanted more of what happened earlier. It felt like all the years of not wanting anything sexual in her life had piled up to this moment and now she wanted everything all at once; and this magazine was going to help her.

#1- Dress Naughty.

Orihime bit her lip as she walked down the hallway with the magazine open in her hand. Her brain rummaged through the clothes she had folded in her suitcase and mentally discard item after item. She skimmed through a few pages of the magazine, looking at the women and stopped when she came to a picture of a girl in a white shirt completely unbuttoned and a black tie holding the two sides together. She wore a pleated skirt and skinny high heals. 'She could do this one,' she thought as she pulled open the door to their room. But she didn't think Ulquiorra would care at all if she dressed up in a school girl uniform… he'd never gone to school so he would have never created fantasies like that.

Ulquiorra must have fallen asleep while she was gone because she could hear his steady breathing as she sat down on her bed. She turned on the light beside her bed and breathed a sigh of relief when Ulquiorra didn't stir on his side. She flipped the page to the next item on the list.

#2- Surprise him with a strip tease.

Orihime's eyes widened at the thought of being able to be that daring. She shook her head and read on.

#3- Reach for his foot while watching TV and gently massage beneath his ankles. This will create a stir in his pelvic area.

Hmm… she couldn't think of an opportunity ever coming up to do this but stored it in her memory.

#4- Admire him openly in public.

She read on through the list, each one making her blush more and more. When she finished she felt even less confident in herself. She couldn't imagine herself doing any of those things. She threw the magazine down on the side table and flipped off the light. Sleep came easier than she'd thought and soon she was waking up and staring at the man standing at the foot of her bed.

Ulquiorra turned when he heard the woman stir as he walked to the bathroom to shower and change. He watched a pink blush spread across her face but she smiled and said, "Good Morning. Did you sleep well?"

Ulquiorra nodded and hesitated before continuing on his way to the bathroom. The way her hair stuck up in strange ways was oddly enticing and he wanted to kneel on the bed and crawl over to her. Instead he walked into the bathroom and started his shower.

XxXxXxX

The sun was bright as the two walked along the path to what the front desk clerk had called 'The Lemon Squeeze'. Orihime had inquired on whether there were any more rock scrambling trails that they could go on and he had given her a map like the other day and showed her a trail that led to the tower which could be seen for miles and miles in every direction. When they finally came to the rocks, Orihime went first and Ulquiorra followed close behind. It was a bit different than the trail the other day which had been full of large boulders to scale. This one required more climbing and the use of strategically placed ladders helped them in places which would have been nearly impossible to climb without. When they reached the part where the name 'Lemon Squeeze' had come from, Ulquiorra waited while the woman in front of him started to wiggle her way through the crack of two giant wedges of rock. He couldn't help but admire her rounded rear as she pulled her way up and a definite tightening in his groin accompanied his vision.

When they reached the top, both looked at the tower and marveled at the magnificent view. Orihime reached out with her hand and grasped his pale one impulsively then waited to see if he would pull away. He didn't.

They stayed there for a while at the top of the mountain, looking out at the surrounding landscape and just enjoying the company of the other. When Orihime felt her stomach start to rumble she turned to Ulquiorra and said, "I think I'm getting hungry. Mind if we go back for a late lunch?"

Ulquiorra nodded and they took the path that skirted around the rocky way they had come through; a much easier path down to the hotel. They ate their late lunch and headed back upstairs to their room. They changed out of their clothes and switched to their bathing suits. Orihime wanted to take a dip in the pool one last time before they left the beautiful hotel.

As usual, Orihime couldn't help but stare at Ulquiorra as he strode from the bench to the pool. His bare chest brought images of her hands caressing his skin and massaging the lean muscles. When he slid in the water she swam over to his side and smiled up at him nervously. She tried to recall some of the advice the magazine had given her and when one popped into her head she looked up at him and tried to convey her thoughts to him with telepathy. When Ulquiorra looked back at her and wrinkled his brow in question she bit her lip and turned her head to the side. 'Well that didn't work very well,' she thought.

Ulquiorra waded over to the hot tub and climbed over the side and slid into the built in bench. Orihime watched him as he lifted himself partially out of the water so that he could scale the wall between the pool and the hot tub. Her eyes admired the way his muscles tightened and clenched then followed him as he slid into the warm water. She joined him in the Jacuzzi and took a seat on the opposite side of the rounded pool of water. His head was leaning back and she could see that his eyes were closed as he enjoyed the water easing his body. Her eyes traveled over his arched neck and followed its line down to his collarbone and further exploring down his chest. Several drops of water clung to his magnificent pale skin and her tongue licked her lips as she gazed lustfully at his body. When her eyes reached the surface of the water which reached up to just below his chest she sighed in disappointment and turned her attention back up to his face, expecting him to still be lying back with his eyes closed.

They were not.

He had watched her as she had admired his body. It had been fascinating watching her reactions and his whole body pulsed with an excitement he didn't understand. He had never paid much attention to his appearance. Up to this point he'd never cared about what other people thought about him, especially not in a physical sort of way. The fact that this woman was at least intrigued by him made heat travel through his veins.

When she didn't turn her eyes from his, he watched her eyes glaze over and his body reacted to the look of unrestrained lust. He wanted to jump across the expanse and continue where their mouths had left off the previous night. He could almost feel her soft lips beneath his as he stared back at her. Her eyes started to travel back down his body and his muscles clench wherever her gaze rested. He watched her move slowly across the hot tub, never letting her eyes leave his body and when she was just a step away, she stopped.

Her face lifted to his and she leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Don't you agree that the view in this hotel is amazing?"

Ulquiorra gulped audibly at her words and watched Orihime step out of the hot tub and grab her towel. She didn't stop to wait for him but just continued down the side of the pool to the exit. When the door closed behind her, Ulquiorra stared at the door. His brain was in a fog and he wasn't sure how to react to what just happened. His mind wanted to analyze what she had just said but his body wanted to jump out of the pool and follow the woman. In the end, his body won out and he was nearly running down the hallway to their room in seconds. Upon entering, he could hear the shower running in the bathroom and he sighed in disappointment.

Orihime let the water hit her face and relished the feeling of it running down her body. She had seen the way his eyes had reacted to her perusal and it had made her own body fill with a wantonness she'd never felt before. Just like the previous night, something had taken over her and any rational thought had vanished. She couldn't believe how bold she'd been. But somewhere deep inside she knew she had loved every minute of it. She wanted his attention. She wanted his desire. She wanted him.

As she washed the chlorine out of her hair, she thought of what she should try next. The magazine had been right about the 'admiring him openly' thing so maybe it would be worth trying something else. Her mind raced with ideas.

Ulquiorra tried to remain nonchalant as Orihime walked into the room. His eyes only glanced occasionally in her direction as she paced the room and then finally grabbed the remote and sat stiffly on the side of HIS bed. 'Why was she sitting over here,' he wondered. When she started clicking through channels, Ulquiorra watched her from the corner of his eyes and saw the way her teeth bit into her bottom lip and her eyes kept scrunching up like she was debating something inside her head. He wondered if he should be nervous.

Finally Orihime found a movie she wanted to watch and set the remote down on the side table. She took a deep breath to settle her nerves and then stretched out her body so that she was lying on her stomach with her head at the foot of the bed. She tried to watch the movie but thoughts of what she was about to do kept trickling into her conscience. 'This couldn't be too bad,' she thought. She'd given him a full body massage, how was rubbing his ankles gonna be any worse?

Slowly she reached her hand out and her fingers slid over the curve of his ankle. She felt him flinch and almost pull his foot away but she held tight and soon she felt him semi-relax against her hand. Her mind ran through what the instructions had said and her thumb started making small circles against the tendon between his heal and his ankle. It seemed so odd to her doing this. How could this possibly be sexually stimulating? Just as she was about to take her hand away she heard a long, low moan escape from Ulquiorra. She turned her head to look at his face and his eyes were closed shut. When they finally opened, she watched him wide eyed as his chest rose and fell in increasing speed and his hands started to fist into the sheets at his side. A spark of desire coursed through Orihime. He liked this.

She wondered how far she could push her luck tonight. When Ulquiorra closed his eyes again, she turned on the bed and crawled her way up. She placed her hands on either side of his body and did likewise with her legs. She hovered over his still form and waited for his eyes to open.

Ulquiorra couldn't believe what the woman was doing. At first he'd thought she was nuts but when her thumb had started to press on that strange spot, something had shot up his leg and a pool of heat had centered around his groin. Every stroke of her thumb had felt like long caresses to his hips and it had been all he could do to contain the impulse to buck his hips into the air.

He could feel the bed shifting as the woman moved over the bed. His whole body was aware of her just a few inches above him. He hoped the woman knew what she was doing because he sure as hell didn't and he also didn't know if he'd be able to stop if she started again.

Slowly he opened his eyes and stared at the woman above him. She was looking down at him mischievously and he could barely see a small glimmer of nervousness within her eyes as she lowered her head and pressed her lips against his. He wanted to let her lips linger over his but animal instinct fed by too much teasing took over and his hands reached up to bring her body tightly to his. Unfortunately she had already started to roll away and he watched her bounce over to her bed.

"Good Night Ulqui!" said Orihime as she pulled the blankets over her body and sunk down into the cozy mattress. If she hadn't been listening intently she would have missed the long exhale from the man behind her. She smiled as she closed her eyes.

The next day, Orihime looked nervously around the train, trying to find two empty seats together. Unlike their previous journey, the train this time was packed full with people on their way to the city.

After they had walked through three different cars, Orihime spotted an empty seat and practically dove at it. Ulquiorra helped her lift her bag up to the luggage rack and then said, "You can have the seat. I'll just stand."

Ulquiorra shook his head and leaned his back against the wall of the train.

There was a rather large lady sitting next to Orihime who watched the two of them as they debated on who was going to get the seat. "The conductor won't let people stand on these kinds of trains. That's only for subways. Your boyfriends going to have to find a seat somewhere or you will be sitting on his lap the entire way," the lady interrupted Orihime and Ulquiorra.

Orihime turned to the woman and said, "Oh uh… thanks."

They started walking back through the car, trying to find an empty seat when they heard the horn blow which meant they were soon rolling out. Orihime started to panic and then a man in a light blue uniform came walking towards them with a serious expression. "The train is departing, please return to your seats."

Orihime bit her lip and said, "But umm… we only could find one seat."

"Well then I would suggest you get back in that seat Miss. You're both skinny, you'll manage," said the man before he turned and started punching tiny holes into people's tickets.

With a groan, Orihime shuffled her feet back to the single chair and looked at the thing like it was going to eat her alive. She sat down in the very corner of the seat and scooted as far over as her hips allowed.

Ulquiorra stared at the tiny amount of space left to him and shook his head. "I won't fit."

Orihime huffed and looked at him helplessly.

"Aw sweeties you're making it too difficult. Just let him sit down first and have him spread his legs open then you sit down between them on the seat. Not a big deal," said the lady in the seat next to them.

Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra with a questioning look and Ulquiorra nodded his head in defeat. She got up from the seat and waited as Ulquiorra sat down and did as the lady told them. Orihime gingerly sat down in the few inches of chair available to her without touching him and tensed all her muscles to keep her in place. 'This was going to be a long trip,' she thought to herself.

Ulquiorra tried as best he could to keep from letting his legs slide together and touching the woman. He didn't realize how much of a workout it would be to hold his legs apart for a long period of time but less than 5 minutes later his legs were almost shaking from the effort and without realizing it, the inside of his thigh brushed against her backside. They both jolted from the contact and Ulquiorra pushed himself back against the seat and started to concentrate again on keeping his legs spread. He only lasted a minute this time and when his legs pressed against her backside and legs he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry. I can't hold them any longer." He couldn't see but Orihime had a small smile on her face as he said those words.

She tilted her head back and whispered, "Its fine. Don't worry about it. No point in being uncomfortable the whole way." To emphasize her point, she relaxed and leaned back into his chest. She moved her head slightly to the side so that her hair wasn't in his face and then laid her head against his shoulder with her eyes staring out the window to their left.

Orihime didn't realize how comfortable she would feel leaning against his chest like this. The steady sound of his heart beating mixed with the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She soon found her eyes drooping and before she knew it she was asleep.

Ulquiorra tried to ignore the feeling of her rounded behind pressed tightly against his groin but it was pretty much impossible. His hands rested on the tops of his legs and he tried to lean his head back and relax. The woman in front of him sounded like she was falling asleep then suddenly she started sliding down between his legs and he had to quickly catch her waist before she fell off the seat. His arm circled around her and he felt even more awkward than before. He had to keep her snug against him or she would start to fall again. 'This ride was going to be torture.'

When they pulled into the station, Orihime woke up and felt more comfortable than she'd remembered being in a long time. Ulquiorra's arms were both wrapped around her waist and his head had rolled forward to rest against her shoulder. Her own arms were lying over his and her cheek was pressed against the side of his face. 'She could get used to waking up like this,' she thought.

Unfortunately she knew she had to get him up since they were arriving in New York City and had to go find their next train. She turned her head slowly till her lips brushed against his cheek and she kissed him gently then whispered in his ear, "It's time to get up Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was Orihime held tightly in his arms. He could feel her lips against his ear as she continued, "I'd love to stay here all day but the train is almost empty now and we need to catch the next train to Long Island.'

Ulquiorra reluctantly released Orihime from his arms and watched her slide out of the chair and stand to grab her bag. He followed as she left and they quickly left the station and started heading towards Penn Station; the other huge train station in NYC. When they finally got there, they got their tickets and found their train quickly, getting there early in hopes of finding seats this time. Luckily this route was much quieter and they nearly had the whole car to themselves.

**Ugh it's so hot in my apartment so I'm going to have to stop. My A/C broke over the weekend and doesn't get fixed till tomorrow so whenever I sit to write it's like being in a sauna. I promise to post some long stuff later this week.**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm just going to copy and paste the last paragraph from the previous chapter since I never really ended the scene, just couldn't keep typing in the heat. **

_Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was Orihime held tightly in his arms. He could feel her lips against his ear as she continued, "I'd love to stay here all day but the train is almost empty now and we need to catch the next train to Long Island."_

_Ulquiorra reluctantly released Orihime from his arms and watched her slide out of the chair and stand to grab her bag. He followed as she left and they quickly left the station and started heading towards Penn Station; the other huge train station in NYC. When they finally got there, they got their tickets and found their train quickly, getting there early in hopes of finding seats this time. Luckily this route was much quieter and they nearly had the whole car to themselves._

**Chapter 12**

After the 2nd stop, which was only 20 minutes after they left, the only other person in their car departed and Orihime was left alone with Ulquiorra. She didn't know why she felt awkward, it's not like they haven't spent nearly every minute since they'd met alone together but somehow it felt strange now. She stretched her legs out on the free seats beside her and looked across the way at Ulquiorra who was sitting rigidly in his seat. "This is supposed to be a really nice resort and it's right on the beach. It's kind of sad though. This is the last leg of the trip. Everything's been so perfect so far and I hate thinking about it ending."

Ulquiorra saw the woman's mouth turn down in a slight frown and he wished he was eloquent enough to cheer her up. "Is it so bad to be home?" he asked.

Orihime looked up at his question and thought about it for a few moments before answering, "No, it's not that. It's just exciting to see new places and do new things," and it's been so nice having you here with me, she wanted to add but of course didn't dare. "I know I've said this before but I really do hope you are having a good time. I have been."

Green eyes assessed her as she looked at Ulquiorra, waiting for any sort of response. "Yes Orihime, I've been having a good time."

Orihime smiled widely and as always, Ulquiorra felt something flutter in his stomach and he was relieved he had been able to make her happy.

After a few minutes of silence, Orihime got up and reached into her bag to pull out her magazine. She took a seat next to Ulquiorra and laid her body out across the empty seats so that her head rested in his lap. Ulquiorra's body tensed up like it always does at the contact and he watched as she wiggled her body till she was comfortable. Once she stopped moving she picked up the magazine and lifted it over her head and started reading. He heard several small giggles erupt from beneath the glossy pages. That's when he saw one of the titles in electric pink on the cover… _10 Ways to Drive Your Man Crazy with Desire. _ 'What the hell was she reading?' he wondered.

When another spurt of laughter interrupted his thoughts he impulsively picked up the magazine from her small hands and let his eyes skim over the contents. Orihime grabbed at the magazine as quickly as she could in a panic and clutched it to her chest. With a nervous laugh she shoved the embarrassing object back into her bag and sat up stiffly in her seat.

Ulquiorra had only been able to catch a quick glimpse of the inside contents but he remembered seeing something about strip teases and edible underwear. 'What the heck was edible underwear?' he thought to himself.

"It's for girls," said Orihime as she watched Ulquiorra's questioning face. As far as he knew she couldn't read minds so he assumed she was talking about the magazine he had tried to grab from her. He shrugged his shoulders and turned his head to look out the window. This area of New York was so much different than where they had been the past few days. It was hard to believe it was only a few hours apart.

When the train finally pulled into Montauk, Orihime and Ulquiorra hired a cab which took them the few miles to the resort. At the check-in counter, Orihime once again asked if they had any rooms with two beds but this time the lady answered quickly that they were fully booked through the weekend. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'It's not like they didn't survive last time.'

Orihime didn't even bother to look at Ulquiorra as she continued checking in and then took the key the lady held out to her. As they got into the elevator that would take them up to their room, Orihime finally said, "Maybe there will be a couch or something." A part of her was hoping there wouldn't be anything and she was stunned by this realization. She knew it was true though. The sexual tension she'd been feeling for nearly a week now was driving her insane and she had started to suspect that Ulquiorra was feeling the same.

There was something more though that she couldn't quite explain. She knew enough to realize that what she was feeling was more than just lust or desire. Every thought that ran through her head was centered around the man beside her. When he had disappeared from her so long ago it had taken months for her to accept his loss. She would stay up at night trying to think of possible ways to bring him back but every time she had spoken to her fairies they had adamantly stated that it wasn't possible. She had come to accept his death over time and had created a spot beside her brother to help her remember him.

Now he was back. It was like she had been given a second opportunity to make things right between them. As if fate had driven them apart too early before and now they had a chance to be what they were meant to be. But where did he fit in her life? She had just graduated from school and had already enrolled at the local University in Karakura. Would he stay with her?

All these thoughts ran through her head as she opened the door to their room and glanced inside. She dropped her bag against the wall and walked to the center of the room to take a look around. The place had a beach theme and was quite a bit larger than she had expected. Against one of the walls was a small couch but Orihime smiled secretly to herself when she noticed that it was way too small for either of them to sleep on comfortably. It was more of a decorative piece than a piece meant for use. The bed was the same size as the one they'd had at the hotel in NYC so they shouldn't have any problems sharing the space.

"Let's go to the beach!" she exclaimed as she opened the curtains to the wide window.

Ulquiorra didn't have a problem with going to the beach but the thought of having to see the woman in her tiny pink bikini made him groan quietly to himself. He hoped they spent a lot of time in the water.

They quickly took turns in the bathroom to change into their suits. On the way out they grabbed a few towels and started heading towards the hotel exit. On a small table beside the exit door was a large stack of blue blankets and a few coolers sat underneath the table. An attendant stood beside the table and said, "Would you like a beach blanket and some drinks?"

Orihime smiled at the lady and said "Yes please." Ulquiorra took the pile of stuff the lady handed over to them and they continued on their way out to the beach. As they walked across the large expanse of sand, Ulquiorra noticed a group of guys who were playing volleyball, stop their game and watch Orihime as she walked by. When they found a spot to lay out their blanket, Ulquiorra almost stopped Orihime before she started to undress but instead stood between the men's ogling eyes and her. After she was undressed down to her bathing suit, Ulquiorra sighed and pulled his own shirt over his head then followed the woman into the small waves. The men's game had continued while they were walking to the water but he could still feel their eyes following Orihime as she walked.

Once inside the water, Orihime turned into a little kid and dove around, trying to catch the waves as they rolled by. Her nearly constant laughter was a breath of fresh air to Ulquiorra as he watched her. When she started swimming in his direction and then stepped to his side and around his back, Ulquiorra was shocked when he felt her jump onto his back and wrap her legs around his waist. Her arms locked securely around his neck before she pointed to a larger wave coming their way.

"Jump!" she cried as it approached and just an instant before the wave crashed into them, Ulquiorra dove forward and the two of them went headfirst into the frothy water. When they came up for air, Orihime was still hanging tightly on to Ulquiorra and she was laughing loudly in excitement. She leaned her face forward and whispered in his ear… "Do it again."

Wave after wave they did this, each time eliciting large amounts of laughter from the woman. A particularly large wave nearly caused Orihime to lose her grip on Ulquiorra and she had to tighten her arms around his neck before he stood back up. Ulquiorra had to admit that he was actually having fun doing this. The feel of the woman pressed against his back certainly added to the enjoyment and he decided to wade out a bit farther to the larger waves.

The water was almost chest high before he stopped and the woman squeaked in anticipation as a huge wave came crashing towards them. Her fingers linked together tightly and her legs wrapped more securely around his hips just as Ulquiorra dove forward. Unfortunately, her grip slipped and she went floating away before she was able to get a hold of him again.

When they both came bobbing back up, Orihime was a few yards away from Ulquiorra and they closed the distance quickly before another wave came. Instead of jumping around to his back though, Orihime reached her arms out and wrapped them around his neck while he still faced her. Her arms tightened till she was only inches away from his face.

Ulquiorra moved his hands from his side and lifted them to her waist, letting his thumbs slide over her slick skin under the water. His heart started to pick up in pace as he watched her lick her lips and slowly lean forward. He could feel her breath against his lips and a large knot formed in his stomach. He didn't even realize he had been licking his own lips but Orihime had.

She watched his tongue dart out and moisten his beautiful lips. Her arms started to clench around his neck which pushed their lips even closer together. They stood like this for a moment, letting the feelings wash over each of them when suddenly a large wave came crashing against their entwined bodies. Ulquiorra was able to tighten his arms around her waist an instant before the wave had hit them so they just leaned against each other and swayed with the water. When it passed, they both leaned their heads back and looked at the other. Orihime had a shy smile spreading across her face but she didn't move as Ulquiorra started to dip his head towards her. She felt her breath catch in her throat as his lips came tantalizingly close to hers and Ulquiorra turned them so his back was facing any incoming waves.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked as his lips brushed lightly against hers.

Orihime took a shuttering breath before whispering back, 'No."

An instant later his lips took possession of hers and stole the air from her lungs. Orihime moaned as their mouths sought out the others with a desperation created by too many unanswered longings. Their arms tightened around each other and soon their bodies were pressed tightly together. Ulquiorra had to lift her slightly so that his chest could press against hers and the movement made Orihime's legs dangling off the ocean floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to his shoulders as his tongue slipped between their lips. Her own tongue eagerly met his, wrenching a strangled moan from the man holding her.

The hands around Orihime's back started to move and each sweep sent sparks of electricity across her skin. She pressed her mouth even tighter to his and started to run her fingers through his wet black hair. She couldn't believe the feelings running through her body. Was this really Ulquiorra pressed hotly against her body? She'd never imagined being able to create any type of emotional response in her previous jailer. The coolness she had always observed was no where in sight as his tongue licked sensually against hers.

The waves lapping against them went unnoticed. They were each completely consumed by the passionate kiss and neither could comprehend a possible reason for ever stopping.

Orihime felt Ulquiorra's hand slide up her side and brush against the string holding her bathing suit top together. At the same time his lips were moving from her mouth and trailing across her cheek till they came to her jawline. When she felt his lips caress the skin of her neck she sucked in a long deep breath and clutched his body to hers.

The sound of splashing distracted Orihime momentarily and she opened her eyes and remembered where they were. She pushed herself slightly away from Ulquiorra and let her legs slide off of his hips. Breathlessly she said while looking at his chest in front of her, "Can we go back to the room?"

Ulquoirra's mind whirled rapidly with thoughts as what had just happened and what Orihime was now suggesting came crashing across his conscience. Her silver eyes stared anxiously into his as she waited for his response. He knew that if he tried to utter even the smallest sound at the moment that it would probably come out in either a throaty moan or an urgent squeak so instead he just nodded his head and let the woman thread her fingers through his as they started walking out of the water.

They picked up their towels and blanket along the way but neither stopped to dry off as they made their way to the hotel door. Orihime put the blue blanket in a wicker basket beside the door and returned her hand to his. She was afraid that if she lost contact with his body that she would lose the confidence she felt at the moment. Her hand started to shake as they neared the door to their room and when she tried to put the key in the lock her hands were shaking so badly that she had to attempt it several times before successfully sliding the card through the narrow hole. The door opened slowly in front of them and neither seemed able to take the first step forward. It was almost like there was an invisible wall keeping them in place that was made up of all their insecurities.

Ulquiorra could feel the woman at his side growing more and more nervous so he reached his hand out that wasn't already holding hers and brought it up to her cheek. "We don't have to do anything Orihime." He let his thumb pass over the perfectly smooth skin and he watched the woman's eyes lift to his.

"I… Ok," she answered and took the step forward that just a moment ago had looked like a colossal leap. They walked slowly into the room and let the door close behind them. Orihime's hand still clutched Ulquiorra's tightly and didn't let go even after they both sat down on the large bed and slid to rest against the fluffy pillows beneath the headboard.

Orihime's mind battled itself as she lay there. Her stomach twisted in knot after knot and her hand kept clutching Ulquiorra's tighter till she was sure she was hurting him. He was being so patient with her and the thought made a warmth start to grow in her chest. His deep voice had been so soothing when he'd spoken to her in the hallway. She wanted to hear it again.

"Ulquiorra?" she said quietly while turning to her side and looking over at him. He was already looking at her when her eyes made contact and she smiled despite her nerves.

"Yes Orihime?" he answered when she looked at him. He watched her smile and release a quick giggle after he spoke and the sound made him almost smile in return…. Almost.

"You have such a sexy voice," she said before she realized what she was saying and then nearly slapped her hand over her mouth at her boldness.

Ulquiorra just stared at the woman like she had lost her mind. 'He had a sexy voice?' "Oh really?" he asked, trying to make light of the comment and receiving another quick laugh.

"Yup, you do," she said and reached a hand out to trace a path down his chin and over his neck. His eyes stared at her as she did this and the feeling of her fingers made a lump form in his throat. He gulped and when her hand stopped at his collarbone he watched as she inwardly debated something.

When finally one of the sides won in Orihime's mind, her hand started to continue its path down, ever so slowly. Her index finger glided over his ghostly pale skin, down the indent between his muscles. When she reached the bottom where his abs ran into his pectorals, she looked up at his face and felt the now familiar flame building up inside of her. Her hand flattened against his chest and started to rub the skin beneath, feeling every taut inch and enjoying the way his breathing became labored and erratic. His reaction gave her confidence and soon her tentative fingers were boldly caressing his chest; making broad strokes over his stunning physique. When her hand started to travel lower, roaming over his top two abs, Ulquiorra reached out his hand and gently grasped her fingers. The stirring her fingers were creating in an area a bit lower was going to drive him crazy and he didn't want to ruin the moment. He picked up her fingers and brought them to his lips, pressing a quick kiss to each tip before lifting himself up onto his side so that he could lye face to face with Orihime.

They stared at each other for a breathless moment before they leaned forward and brushed their lips in a whisper of a caress. Their lips tugged and nipped at each other and soon Orihime was panting for breath, wanting more of him and desperately seeking his tongue. He dutifully answered her demand and increased the pressure of the kiss as their tongues played an erotic game.

A long moan rumbled up Orihime's throat and her arms reached out for Ulquiorra's body. His long hard body rolled Orihime's over, affording her a better opportunity to wrap her arms around his back. Ulquiorra rested his weight on his elbows as he hungrily kissed her. His body was completely aware of the nearly naked form beneath him and this time he couldn't help his reaction as he felt a definite tightening in his groin. He tried as best he could to keep his stomach from touching hers but the pull of it was nearly too much for him when her fingers traveled over his back and along his spine to settle around his waist.

Orihime loved the feel of his velvet lips against her skin as he kissed a path down her chin to her neck. His tongue explored the foreign skin and when his mouth moved to lick behind her ear she reached a hand up to his hair and threaded her fingers through the long wet locks. When his warm lips captured the lobe of her ear, Orihime sucked in a quick breath and clenched the hair within her hands.

Ulquiorra noticed the reaction he received from the caress and tried it again, succeeding in creating another amazing sound to leave the woman's mouth. He wanted to hear more of that sound. His body yearned for the delicious noise.

The feel of Orihime's hand running up his side made him momentarily pause with his lips pressed against her throat. He felt her fingers run up the length of his body and then reach up to join the other hand in his hair. She gently tugged on his hair until he lifted his head and before he could even open his eyes her lips were coaxing his open and they both drowned in the waves of desire that coursed through them. His thoughts were so focused on her lips that he didn't notice her hands leave his head but when he felt them wrap around his waist and pull his body down against hers he lifted his head and groaned at the contact.

"Orihime I… can't…" he stopped what he was going to say as her legs parted beneath him and allowed his hips to press against her. Ulquiorra let out a whoosh of breath and said, "I'm not going to be able to control myself much longer Orihime."

A surge of heat raced through Orihime's veins upon hearing him. She felt a flash of confidence and reached up with her hands to grasp his head and bring his lips down to hers. Then, she pushed him over and quickly slid overtop of him. Her legs straddled his hips and her lips started to teasingly trace the same path his had made down her neck not long ago. When her tongue found the place that had made her gasp in delight, she slowly licked over the spot and waited to see if he would have the same reaction.

A lifting of his hips was all the response she needed. She moved her mouth to the other side of his neck and didn't leave a spot undiscovered before she lifted her head and sat back on his hips to look at him beneath her. His hands were resting on her waist and when she sat up he slid his hands to her lower ribs. The view of her sitting on him with just her bikini top on was so erotic and his groin tightened to the point of pain as he watched her breasts lift and fall with each breath. His fingers tingled with need, desperate to feel the weight of her large chest. When the tops of his fingers brushed against the underside of each breast, he paused to see her reaction and to find out whether or not he'd pushed things too far. Instead of refusal he saw wanton desire darkening her silver eyes. The feel of her breasts under his fingers was so incredibly erotic that it was all he could do to keep from cupping the fullness and massaging the heavy mounds.

Instead he slowly inched his fingers up till he ran into the tiny nubs of nerves which were visibly aroused by his touch even through her bikini top. Orihime couldn't believe the feeling that washed over her when his long fingers brushed over the fabric that was the only barrier between her nipples and his fingers. Her breath started to come in tiny gasps as every flick of his fingers created sparks through her nerves which seemed to be connected to a place between her legs.

Ulquoirra watched her face as he rubbed the tips of his fingers over her nipples. He was amazed by the effect his touch had on her and the ache in his groin increased to a point he'd never experienced before. He watched her throw back her head as she gasped loudly and her back and neck arched above him. He cupped her breasts more fully and continued to run his thumb around the sensitive nubs. Her hips started to rub over his in a provocative rhythm that made him want to thrust his hips up more fully against her heat.

Suddenly Orihime nearly collapsed on top of him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and continuing the torture her hips were creating against his. His hands grabbed her hips and pressed them down as he thrust his own forward. A strangled cry tore from the woman's mouth at the friction and she rolled over when Ulquiorra moved his body over hers. Her legs wrapped eagerly around his hips as he kissed her roughly. Their tongues battled until they were both sucking in their breaths in quick rasps. His hot mouth burned a path down her throat and continued until he was pressing his lips to the beginning of her cleavage. Her fingers tangled into his hair and when she felt him lick at the skin around her bathing suit top. Her back arched and she lifted her hands to the strings tied behind her neck and quickly undid the knot to let the two strands lay untouched as he continued his assault on her breasts.

His mouth easily moved the fabric to the side as he lips moved over the creamy soft skin. When he uncovered the pink nipple beneath, he closed his moist lips around the hard nub and was nearly bucked off the bed by her body's response to the incredible feeling. He peaked up at the woman's face as he flicked his tongue over the sensitive pebble and watched as she bit down on her lower lip; arching her neck back and moaning her pleasure. His lips left the wet nipple and moved to repeat the same torture to the other side.

By the time he lifted his face from her breast, Orihime was writhing beneath his gaze. His body wanted to press itself against her warmth again but he knew that if he did he would never be able to stop so instead he raised himself on his hands and knees and moved over her until his mouth was again pressed against hers. Orihime's hands reached around his back to try to press him against her but Ulquiorra lifted his face and said, "Orihime I can't. I won't be able to stop."

Her eyes stared back at him and he could see the cloud of lust slowly lifting. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath before opening them again. "O.. ok," she said and lifted her hand to push back a lock of hair that had fallen over his brow. 'Did she care if he wasn't able to stop?' she wondered.

He leaned down again and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before rolling to the side and stretching out on his back beside her. She watched his chest rise and fall as his breath slowly found a normal rhythm. When she tried to move she noticed a strange wetness between her legs and quickly shot out of the bed. She'd forgotten that her top had been undone and her hands clutched ineffectually at her bare breasts as she walked to the bathroom to 'tidy herself up'.

Ulquiorra watched the woman return a few minutes later and start digging through her suitcase for some new clothes. She walked back into the bathroom when she picked something out and when she re-emerged she said, "I'm starving. Please tell me you're hungry."

Ulquiorra nodded his head and got up to find his own clothes to change in to. Once they were both dressed, they walked down to the lobby and Orihime asked if there was any place close by that they could walk to to eat at. The lady started listing a bunch of restaurants and Orihime chose a steakhouse which was directly across the street from the hotel.

After the food had settled in her stomach, Orihime turned her attention to the man across the table and all thoughts on what had transpired less than an hour ago came crashing back to her. She now recognized the way her body reacted to him and she didn't feel embarrassed about it. His own inexperience comforted her and she selfishly liked that what they had done was something they were learning together.

Startling her out of her thoughts, Ulquiorra asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Orihime laughed at his table turning and said, "Should I answer that I'm thinking about why you are asking me what I am thinking or actually tell you what I was thinking before you asked?"

"I'd rather you tell me what you were thinking before I asked," he said with a hint of a smile playing at the corner or his lips.

"Well," she suddenly remembered what she had been thinking about and felt a blush start to spread across her face. 'Ah, what the hell,' she thought as she continued, "I was thinking about earlier."

Ulquiorra knew exactly what part of earlier she was thinking about but wanted to tease her a little so he asked, "When… earlier?"

Orihime didn't back down and replied, "Oh, about an hour ago."

He pretended to sift through his memories and then said, "You mean when we were in the room together and you were making such incredible noises?"

Orihime had tried her best to be unfazed but his last question undid her confidence and she threw her hands over her face and waited for the red to disappear.

Ulquiorra loved her reaction and he reached a hand out across the table to pull her own from her face. He looked at her pink cheeks and said, "You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You were fascinating."

Tightening warmth spread through Orihime's body at his words and she let a small smile distort her face.

The rest of the meal was spent talking about safer subjects. They discussed what they wanted to do the rest of the evening and Orihime remembered that she was supposed to call that girl from the spa that they had met in NYC.

When they got back to the hotel room, Orihime picked up the phone and dialed the number that Becky had given her. After two rings, the girl answered the phone and was she was bubbling with excitement that Orihime had actually called her. She invited them over for drinks the next evening and gave her directions to their place.

When Orihime hung up, she looked at Ulquiorra and said, "Well at least we have plans tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

**Just a quick author's note to a guest who reviewed this story… I'm sorry but I'm not going to waste my time explaining how Ulquiorra got his passport. I seriously doubt they have birth certificates in Hueco Mundo so trying to figure out how he could get a passport would just be boring and dull.**

**Chapter 13**

"You have to slide the puck into the spaces with numbers," said Orihime as she watched Ulquiorra push the thin stick over the ground.

She giggled as she watched the puck go flying past the large triangle and Ulquiorra's shoulders slumped down in defeat. He should have known better than to make a wager with the woman over something he'd never done before.

When it was Orihime's turn, he watched as the red puck went gliding over the concrete and landed perfectly inside the triangular 10 spot. He threw his head back in defeat and listened to Orihime's triumphant cheers. "I won!" she cried as she bounced up and down proudly.

"Now you," slight emphasis on the you, "have to do whatever I tell you to do for the rest of the evening," said Orihime with a sly smile as she walked past him and down the wooden steps to the sand.

Ulquiorra followed the woman down on to the beach and watched her skip ahead, her hair flying back in the wind and laughter floating back to his ears. It was amazing to him how happy this woman seemed to be all the time. At first he had thought it was a mask she wore to make people feel comfortable around her or to hide some sort of insecurities but over time he'd come to realize that it was completely genuine. She enjoyed life. She enjoyed people. He'd started to wonder if maybe that was why he was so drawn to her. He couldn't find someone more opposite him if he tried.

The woman stopping abruptly in front of him interrupted his thoughts and he nearly ran into her back. She turned to face him with a smile and said, "Let's sit for a little while. I want to watch the waves."

Orihime watched Ulquiorra sit down in the soft sand and she debated on whether she should do what she wanted to or not. She clenched her fists and closed her eyes tightly as she tried to suck up the courage.

Ulquiorra looked up at the woman standing beside him and wondered what she was doing. When she finally opened her eyes she hopped in front of him and plopped down ineloquently between his legs. She scooted her body back until her head nearly banged into his and then leaned back against his chest. He had to catch himself from falling back with his arms and when he was finally able to get over his shock, he lifted one hand and pulled a strand of the woman's hair from his mouth. Her whole body started to wiggle and soon she settled against him with a sigh.

His whole body was tense as he sat there. This all was so new to him that he didn't quite know what to do whenever the woman did something impulsively. It's not like he didn't like it, it was just disconcerting that time after time he would feel completely ignorant of what was normal. He was slowly starting to realize that his body seemed to react at least correctly enough that the woman wasn't completely disappointed. He loved how responsive she was to him. It guided him when he was roaming through uncharted waters. Though he had teased her earlier about her little noises, he hadn't lied about how it fascinated him. Each moan that had escaped her lips and every rasp of passionately drawn breath had driven him to even greater heights of desire till he was lost to her.

"Isn't it beautiful?" asked Orihime as she stared at the moonlit water.

Ulquiorra wasn't looking at the water as he whispered in her ear, "Yes Orihime."

Orihime shivered when his breath brushed against her ear. She loved the feel of his chest pressed against her back as they sat there but there was something she wanted to do so she jumped up from his lap and held a hand out to help him up as she said, "Alright. Let's go to bed."

Ulquiorra wanted to ask what she was up to since it was quite obvious that she wasn't tired but he followed her silently into the hotel and all the way to their room.

"You can have whatever side of the bed you want. Go ahead and choose while I get changed," said Orihime after they entered their room. She started rummaging through her bag and Ulquiorra noticed that it was taking longer than it should for her to find her pajamas. He ignored her though and bent to pick out his own pajamas and then chose the far side of the bed. There was no point getting in till he was dressed so he waited for the woman to finish and busied himself around the room till he heard the door open. He saw Orihime poke her head out of the door and scrunch her face in aggravation.

"No. You gotta sit down on the bed," she said and started motioning for him to lay down with her outstretched hand.

'This was odd,' he thought as he watched her. He'd seen her in her pajamas before. Why was she being so weird about it now?

"Please," she begged and Ulquiorra did as she asked with a curious expression on his face.

Orihime watched him sit back on the bed and stretch his legs out in front of him. She closed the door back up and turned to look at herself in the mirror. Her hand reached up to the loose ponytail and tightened it a little. She then traced her fingers over the row of buttons down the front of her shirt as she exhaled loudly to try to get rid of some of the butterflies resting in her stomach. 'Here goes…,' she thought as she stood there and hoped that the magazine was right once again.

With a slightly shaky hand she turned the knob and stepped out to the large room. Her hands rested against her pleated skirt as she stood their stiffly, staring at Ulquiorra's confused face. "Remember, I won the wager so you have to do what I say," she said and started to lift her hand.

Ulquiorra had no idea what the woman was doing. Why had she put on normal clothes to go to bed? Not that he minded since the skirt was short and exposed a large amount of skin and the knee high socks were somehow seductive though he hadn't a clue why. Her hand trembled as she lifted it in front of her and then the hand stopped at her neck. He watched her take a deep breath and then slowly she grasped the loose tie around her neck and slid the knot down until it came apart and her hand released the fabric to the floor. She took a step forward and then her fingers reached back up and undid the top button of her shirt.

'What was she doing?' Ulquiorra continued to wonder and felt his heart start to beat faster.

"Just sit back and don't move please," said Orihime as she continued. Her fingers found another button and deftly slid it through the hole, exposing the peach skin beneath. Her fingers continued down another two buttons, leaving the fabric parted all the way to the underside of her white bra. Ulquiorra gulped as she took another step forward and smiled shyly at him. He could hear his heart beating in his ears. He started to get hot and his palms began to sweat.

Orihime's hands moved from her shirt and she lifted her leg up and rested her foot on the farthest corner of the bed from Ulquiorra. Her fingers played with the top of her stockings and then slowly started to roll them down her leg. When she got to the bottom she lifted her foot and pulled the last bit of thin fabric off.

Her fingers trailed along the foot of the bed as she walked across and when she got to the other corner, she lifted her other leg and repeated the action with the other stocking. Now her legs were bare besides the skirt and her shirt was teasingly opened just enough that he could catch glimpses of white lace. Her hands returned to her shirt as she rounded his side of the bed and started where she'd left off earlier. She popped button after button out of its tiny hole and soon both sides of her shirt hung loosely over her body.

Ulquiorra knew he must look like a complete idiot at the moment. His eyes were so wide they probably looked like they were about to pop out of his face and his hands were clutching the white sheets beneath him so tightly that he was surprised they didn't rip. He'd faced countless opponents in battle and none had ever made his whole mind and body freeze the way this woman had. He could only stare at Orihime as her magnificent body was being slowly uncovered piece by piece. His body was aflame with need and he could feel his gut twisting in anticipation. He was glad she had told him not to move because he didn't think he could even if she demanded it.

With another step forward and a large calming breath, Orihime wrapped her fingers around each side of her shirt and slowly parted the fabric; shrugging off the shirt. She stood there for a moment, letting him look at her body which was only covered in a bra and skirt. She could hear his ragged breathing as she got closer and the sound gave her the bit of confidence she needed to continue. Still though, she couldn't suppress the quaking inside as she got closer to him.

Ulquiorra watched the woman's hands start to move again and this time they started pulling at something over her hip. With a snap, he watched the fabric fall from her hips and glide to the floor, leaving her in only her bra and panties. Another step forward brought the woman just a few mere feet away. He could almost reach his hands out and touch her if he'd been allowed.

Her hands reached behind her back and with another few snaps, the straps of her bra became loose and her fingers reached up to pull each strap down her shoulders and over her arms. Her perfect breasts broke free of their bindings and bounced slightly as she took another shuttering breath.

His eyes caressed her nearly naked form, lingering over her exposed chest. The ache in his groin was in a frenzy and he hoped that he wasn't too obvious as he sat there looking at Orihime. When she took another step forward, her legs brushed against the side of the mattress and her breasts were almost at equal level to Ulquiorra's feasting eyes. He took another large gulp and watched her hands reach up and pull the elastic from her hair. The waves of fiery orange fell in a mass down her back and swung from side to side as she shook it out.

'Ok, now what?' thought Orihime as she stood beside the bed. The article hadn't told her what to do at this point. She decided that maybe Ulquiorra would know better and said, "You can move now."

Ulquiorra barely let a second pass after her softly spoken words before he was standing and scooping the woman up in his arms and rapidly depositing her on the bed. His lips descended and crushed Orihime's in his haste. His tongue didn't wait for an invitation as he thrust between her lips and moaned his satisfaction at the feel of her hot mouth. He couldn't keep his body from pressing against her and the way her breasts rubbed against him made him desperate to take his own clothes off. He broke their kiss momentarily and nearly ripped his shirt off in his haste. The shirt didn't even make it to the ground before his mouth was back on hers and his body was greedily rubbing over her soft skin. The excitement was nearly too much for him and when the woman beneath started to moan deep in her throat he lost the last thread of sanity between his brain and his body. His hand reached down and skimmed over her shoulder and down to cup her large breast. The fullness over flowed his large hand. Her body arched against his hand and his hips instinctively pressed down against hers.

Orihime wrapped her legs around his narrow hips and a wild abandonment took over her as her hands stroked over the porcelain skin of his back. The urgency Ulquiorra had demonstrated created her own sense of urgency and it felt like no matter how much she touched and grabbed him, she couldn't get enough. Her fingers sifted through his hair and down his neck to rub across his wide shoulders. His lips broke away from hers and started a molten path down her neck and between her breasts. When his wet lips wrapped around her nipple, Orihime cried out as lightning streaked through her body. Her legs tightened around his hips and their bodies started to grind slowly together in a rhythm neither had experienced before.

Every noise that slipped through the woman's lips sounded like a siren's call to Ulquiorra. He tried to remember every spot that gave her pleasure as he kissed and licked his way from one breast to the other. When he got to the underside of one of her breasts, he moved his lips to the center of her chest and lifted his eyes to look at her gorgeously aroused face. He felt her take a ragged breath as his lips started to move down the center of her body, slowly lowering to her bellybutton where he ran his tongue in a circle along its edge. Her eyes had a look of nearly pure lust but somewhere mixed in their silvery beauty was a sliver of fear. It was that fear that pulled Ulquiorra back to a modicum of sanity as he continued to lick and nip her flat stomach. As bold as she'd been before he'd picked her up and nearly thrown her on the bed, he had to remember that she was as innocent as him in sexual matters.

Orihime watched Ulquiorra's eyes as he slid further down her body. It was so incredibly sexy watching those emerald jewels stare back at her. Her body felt like an inferno of heat as he continued below her bellybutton. He was quickly approaching an area she both desperately wanted him to touch but at the same time was also immensely frightened of. She tried to calm her breathing but when his lips came in contact with the top edge of her white underwear she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips. His lips changed direction and started running along the length of her waistband. With every heavy breath she took, Orihime reached desperately for the courage to continue. When he'd finally finished his journey across the top of her underwear, Ulquiorra lifted his head and crawled over her body. He pressed his lips to hers and slowly kissed her with more passion than he ever thought could possible come from him. His lips searched hers. He didn't know what he was looking for but he knew the moment he found it. The body beneath him started to shake and the sweetest noise bubbled up her throat. Her hands started to slide over his body and when they came to his stomach, his own body shuddered in a similar fashion to what Orihime had just done. He lifted his hand and started running it down her curves; rolling over her breasts and sliding down her stomach to the top of her panties. He heard her suck in a breath as the tips of his fingers ran into the top of her undergarment.

"Ulquiorra… I…," Orihime said huskily as his fingers slid farther and farther over the white lace. He paused in his movement as he waited for Orihime to finish.

"Orihime you what…" asked Ulquiorra. His whole body was vibrating with wanton need as he stared at the woman. Her bare breasts quivered with every breath she took and the silky smooth skin of her slender stomach practically screamed to be touched.

"I…Oh God Ulquiorra… please don't stop," she said and her hands started to grab at the sheets beside her.

His whole body flashed with heat as he listened to the woman's words. She wanted him. His name on her lips was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard and he had to repress the growl that wanted to escape his lungs.

His hand started to lower again and his finger made a path down the center of her folds over the fabric. Suddenly Orihime bucked her hips up into the air and a hoarse cry escaped her lips.

"Do you like this?" he asked as he ran his finger back over the sensitive area.

Orihime's brain couldn't possible put together enough letters to form a word at the moment so instead she nodded her head up and down and begged him with her eyes to do it again.

Her response was a heady thing. His finger rubbed the area slowly and he was entranced by the way her hips moved against his hand. He pressed his lips to hers and increased the rhythm his fingers were creating. He wanted to taste her desire as it coursed through her body.

When Ulquiorra's hand started to move away, Orihime almost whimpered in disappointment but when she felt the tips of his long fingers creep under the waistband of her underwear she reached a hand out and gently grabbed a handful of his hair to bring his mouth down more firmly over hers. She had to suck in deep breaths between kisses and the smell of him was driving her crazy with lust.

Ulquiorra didn't know what was more intoxicating, the woman's tongue as it slid up and down his or the sway of her hips against his hand. His fingers encountered soft curls and then a little bit farther down his finger slid between the wet folds of her womanhood. Her body froze beneath him as his hand moved slowly down and then encountered the ball of nerves that had caused such an immense response previously. The reaction he received this time for rubbing the sensitive flesh was a mixture of a moan and a whimper.

"Is this how you like it?" he asked as he stared at her closed eyes. His fingers started a rhythm against her flesh, circling the tiny nub and then sliding over it slowly with the tip of his finger. The woman's neck was arched back and her breath was coming in small gasps as she nodded her head and grabbed at the sheets on the bed.

Orihime couldn't believe the feelings rushing through her. Every flick of his finger felt like currents of electricity being shot through her. Her mind was lost to his touch, to his voice, to his undeniably masculine scent. When his fingers increased their rhythm her heartbeat started to pound in her ear and her body seemed to be searching for something. Suddenly, his fingers started to move and an instant later they were searching her feminine cavity, circling the wet cavern and then dipping in. This was what her body had been waiting for. This was what she had been desperately seeking with her moans and cries.

She felt a long finger slide slowly inside of her and the sounds that left her mouth were beyond her control. Her body pressed against his hand. She wanted more of the feeling he was creating.

Ulquiorra was about to lose control of his own body as his finger slid inside the wet, hot entrance. He was nearly at his limit and the concentration needed to keep his own hips from pushing against her was rapidly waning.

His finger slid further into her warmth and started to explore the slick cavern. Her hips grinded against his hand and when she wrapped a shapely leg around his hips, capturing his hand between their bodies, he lost it. He dipped his head down and kissed her hungrily as he slid another finger inside her. At the same time his hips started to move and her answering thrusts made his own breath start to shutter and pant. He was thankful that his hand was between them or the woman would be able to feel the full power of his arousal pushing against her.

When the slick walls started to clench against his fingers, he increased the stroking rhythm and pressed loving kisses to her neck.

Orihime could sense that what her body had been searching for was almost here. Her body started to tense and an increasingly primal torment kept building inside her. She felt like she was climbing some sexual ladder as every muscle in her body tightened and then she suddenly burst in a wave of bliss. Her whole body began to shudder uncontrollably. Wave after wave of pleasure swept through her body and Ulquiorra was there, slowing his fingers and easing her body through her first orgasm.

She opened her eyes and blinked to focus on the face above her. His eyes were still clouded with lust as he looked down at her and she reached her hand out to pull his mouth down to hers. He slid his fingers out of the tight heat and moved to balance his body over hers while he kissed her back. Orihime quickly felt the rising hunger within her as their tongues slid over each others and her legs instinctively reached up to wrap around his waist.

"Orihime, I don't think I can stop if you touch me there again," he said, breaking their kiss.

Orihime smiled slightly and said, "Ok."

An instant later, Orihime pushed Ulquiorra on to his back and kissed him. His mouth surrendered to hers as she sucked on his tongue and grabbed his hands to place them on her naked breasts. She left his hands there and moved her own to his chiseled stomach, tracing each line and memorizing the feel of his skin under her hands. She loved the way his hips narrowed and every muscle was honed to perfection.

When his fingers started flicking her nipples she released his mouth and sat back on his hips, throwing her head back in desire. Her body found the natural rhythm that they had created earlier and soon she was grinding her hips against his and she could feel his erection between her legs.

Ulquiorra couldn't take the grinding much longer. If the feeling of her on top of him wasn't enough, the sight of her unbound breasts bouncing in front of him would drive him to the point of madness. He was already aching painfully inside his pants.

He released a sigh when the woman lifted herself from his lap and he wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief or disappointment. He wasn't able to think about it long because a moment later Orihime was crouched between his legs, bending her body forward to place warm kisses to his stomach. His stomach clenched as her tongue licked out and traced the lines of his abs. Her hands ran down his sides and when they came to his pants she slid her fingers to meet her mouth at the center of his waist. He reached a hand down when he saw what she was about to do and she stopped to look at him.

"Are you sure?" he asked her in a deep whisper.

"I'm definitely sure," she answered and popped open the button of his pants to add emphasis to her statement. She pulled the zipper down slowly and stared at the fabric beneath. His erection was clearly defined underneath his cotton drawers and her mouth started to water in anticipation. Her hand reached down inside the opening she had just created and smoothed out over the bump inside his underwear.

"Oh God," said Ulquiorra when he felt her hand on him. Her tiny fingers started to creep around the sides of his arousal and slowly she moved her hand up and down. The top of his underwear started to slide down over his tip as her hand moved and he lifted his back off the bed and grabbed her hand. "Orihime please," he begged and started to slide her hand beneath the elastic band of his underwear. She watched wide eyed as his hand moved hers over his rock hard erection and then slid back out, leaving her to grasp his shaft in amazement. She pushed the fabric away from her hand and started moving her hand up and down, up and down his pulsing arousal.

Ulquiorra leaned back on his arms and closed his eyes at the feeling. Her hand was like silk as it moved over him and each caress brought him closer to the edge. He could feel her confidence start to build as her strokes became increasingly quick and soon he was moaning and gripping the blankets in his hands. Out of nowhere, her mouth encompassed the head of his erection and her tongue flicked over the sensitive tip.

"Ori… Orihime. Where did you… Oh God," he said as her mouth started to move lower and take more of him inside. Her lips started to move up and down his hot shaft and that was it for Ulquiorra. His body tightened and then a large shudder passed through him before he grabbed Orihime's face and pulled her away from his erupting cock.

Days, hours, minutes… who knew, passed by as Ulquiorra sat there, trying to control his breathing and relax the beating of his heart. At one point he remembered hearing the woman reach over and grab something but he didn't have the strength to open his eyes and see what she was doing. When he was finally able to muster up enough energy he said, "I'm sorry."

Orihime looked up at him quickly, a question on her face. "What are you sorry about?"

Finally, Ulquiorra opened his eyes and explained, "I should have warned you sooner. I was just so caught up in what you were doing and it felt so amazing that I didn't let you know that I… well, you know."

Orihime did know and she giggled as she said, "Its okay. I kind of… liked it."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at her comment which caused another round of giggles to erupt from the woman. Suddenly he noticed the state of undress he was in and quickly pulled his underwear up and buttoned his pants. Orihime was getting off the bed as well, reaching into her suitcase to pull out her pajamas and throwing them on before joining him back on the bed.

"I'll be right back," he said and then got up to change into his own pajamas.

A few minutes later, they turned the lights off and lay in bed together. Orihime snuggled herself against his chest and Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around her as they lay there in silence until sleep took them both.

**Good lord that took too much time! Am I ever going to finish this day. Sheesh! Sorry! I just can't help myself apparently.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm sorry everyone. I don't think I'm doing a very good job on this story. I will definitely finish it but UGH… I feel like I messed up somewhere.**

Chapter 14

Orihime was happy to just stare at the man beside her. His face was illuminated by the morning light streaming through the wide windows. Several locks of hair fell over his forehead and she lifted a hand and delicately brushed the hairs away from his perfect face. Every line and every angle was so stunningly sculpted and his impossibly dark eyelashes were any girls dream to have. His mouth was parted slightly as he took long, slow breaths. She listened to the soothing rhythm and subconsciously timed her own breathing to his.

She wanted to kiss him but didn't want to wake him up from such a peaceful sleep. He was so innocently desirable. She loved how he didn't seem to have a clue of how gorgeous he was. Even when she was held in Las Noches she had been able to realize it through her fear. Now, after spending so much time with him she was finding it difficult to keep herself from ogling him every moment of every day. Everything about him fascinated her. Without the war between them, he was so much gentler and kinder. He was always so patient with her and her sometimes crazy antics; a trait that he had possessed even while they were enemies. It had always made her feel more comfortable with him than she had a right to be.

"Why are you staring at me?" asked Ulquiorra, startling Orihime out of her thoughts.

She chewed on her bottom lip and said, "Umm… how did you know I was staring?" She watched him open his eyes lazily and look up at her.

"You're very obvious Orihime," he answered and closed his eyes again. He didn't see the woman smile and lean forward to press her lips to his.

A soft moan sounded in Ulquiorra's throat as her lips brushed sensually against his. Her mouth was like silk as it glided over his, making a yearning slowly begin to form in the pit of his stomach. When her tongue ran along his lips, he could feel himself becoming more and more aroused. His mind hadn't even been able to clear itself of the sleepy cobwebs and now those cobwebs were rapidly becoming clouds of lust. Every thought, every muscle, every tendon was focused on the kiss. Nothing else existed besides her warm lips.

He reached a hand up to the back of her head and pressed her down over him to deepen the kiss. Her soft breasts, cover by a tank top, lightly brushed against his bare chest. His heart started to beat loudly in his chest.

Orihime broke her lips away with a small laugh and hovered just an inch over him. "We're going to miss breakfast if we don't get out of bed," she said and then leaned back down to peck his lips softly.

Ulquiorra couldn't care less about breakfast and reached a hand out to press her face closer to his. His tongue searched her mouth; her warmth the only breakfast he needed. He heard a surrendering moan from the woman and then felt her body slide over his. His arms reached around her in an intimate embrace and then he slid a hand beneath her shirt to trail up the smooth skin of her back. His body reacted to the contact and soon he had her shirt pushed halfway up her back and both of his hands were running heatedly over her. He wanted more. He wanted to feel all of her incredible body pressed naked to his.

A loud ring interrupted the lusty haze that had settled in the room and Orihime quickly reached over to answer the phone. "Uh.. hello?" said Orihime, a bit too breathlessly.

On the other end of the phone she heard, "Hi Orihime! I hope I'm not calling you too early. It's Becky."

Orihime closed her eyes in disappointment. Not because she didn't want to talk to Becky but because the timing was horrible.

"H… Hi Becky," she said and adjusted her body over top Ulquiorra's until she was sitting on his lap, phone against her ear.

"Did you guys have plans today? We were wondering if you wanted to go on a lighthouse tour with us?" asked Becky.

Ulquiorra's hands started rubbing her hips and moved up to curve around her tiny waist. She could feel her shirt being lifted slowly up her stomach and his hands smoothed over every bare inch of skin that he revealed.

Orihime gulped before saying, "Uh.. no. We didn't really have any specific plans today. That sounds great."

"Perfect! I can't wait. The hotel should be able to give you directions to the tour bus station. I looked up the schedule and the next tour leaves at 10:45am. See ya then!" said Becky and then cheerfully hung up.

Orihime looked at the clock whose flashing red lights showed 10:05am.

A hand reached up and cupped her breast and she moaned while arching her back and dropping the phone. Her lips hungrily sought his and the hand at her chest started to caress the flesh and play with the hard nipple. Her hips started to slowly grind against the body beneath and his hands became more aggressive in their searching.

Their lips parted only long enough for Ulquiorra to pull Orihime's shirt over her head. Her breasts against his chest made him press more demandingly against her body and his hands moved to trail a path down her back with his fingers. He slid down the dip in her back and then slowly curved over her rear, softly grabbing her rounded cheeks and thrusting his tongue inside her mouth.

Her response was delicious. Tiny gasps and moans escaped her lips as she pressed her hips against his growing erection. When his fingers moved beneath her shorts to grab her more firmly, she opened her eyes and threw back her head in pleasure. Her eyes happened to glance at the clock and she was abruptly brought back to reality as she read 10:18am.

"Crap," she groaned and let her body slump against Ulquiorra's. She lifted her head and said, "We have to leave in 10 minutes."

"Why?" he asked, not at all enthusiastic about getting out of bed. 'This had to be the most pleasurable way to wake up,' he thought.

"We have to meet Becky and Derek. We're going on a bus tour with them," said Orihime as she leaned forward and placed another kiss on his lips. She lingered a bit too long and soon they were panting for breath and Ulquiorra was rolling her over on to her back.

"Mmm… Ulquiorra… we have to…," she stopped as he took her nipple into his mouth and started gently sucking on it. Her fingers grabbed his hair and pushed him closer.

Ulquiorra looked up at the woman and asked with his mouth resting over her hard nub, "We have to what?"

He continued licking and sucking her nipple while she breathlessly tried to answer. "We… have to… get… oh Ulqui… please," she didn't know if she was begging him to stop or continue.

"What do we need to get Orihime?" he asked and started kissing his way to her neck.

Her chest was heaving with each breath and each word was more and more difficult to form as she answered, "Get ready… we… have to get… ready."

His tongue caressed the soft flesh around her neck and then moved up to kiss her lips. When they finally broke apart, Orihime turned her head and looked at the clock. "Oh God… we have to go."

They grudgingly got out of bed and quickly changed into new clothes then ran out the door to get directions and a taxi. Luckily another couple was just getting dropped off at the hotel so they were able to take their cab to the place. When they got there, they ran to the small shop and bought their tickets. The door closed behind them as they got on the bus and before they were even able to find seats the bus started rolling out on to the road. Orihime spotted Becky's waving hand near the back and they made their way there.

"I wasn't sure if you guys were going to make it. Did you have trouble finding the place?" asked Becky as Orihime and Ulquiorra took the two seats on the other side of the aisle.

"Oh uh, we just got…," Orihime stuttered to find an excuse but Ulquiorra cut in.

"We lost track of time," was his simple answer.

Orihime tried to conceal the blush that would give them away but failed miserably. Becky winked and said, "Well, I'm glad you could come. Have you guys ever been to a lighthouse before?"

Orihime shook her head and listened as the chatty girl started going on about all the lighthouses in Long Island and a particularly interesting story about a haunted one which thankfully they weren't visiting that day. When they arrived at the first one, the tour guide explained who built the lighthouse and how old it was. Ulquiorra found it to be quite boring and wondered why anyone would care to see something like that. Orihime found it interesting simply because the view was quite lovely with the ocean waves hitting the large rocks and seagulls flying everywhere.

At the second lighthouse, Orihime and Ulquiorra went into a shop nearby to grab a snack since neither had eaten anything yet that morning and then met up with the group. Orihime walked along side Becky as they chatted animatedly about this topic and that. Ulquiorra and Derek followed behind; neither saying a word as they dutifully went along.

When they finally finished exploring the third and final lighthouse of the tour, Becky asked Orihime, "So when do you guys go back to Japan?"

"We leave the morning after tomorrow," answered Orihime, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Aw, what a bummer. It's too bad you couldn't make another stop at the Spa before you left," Becky said and watched Orihime turn bright red. "Speaking of… did you 'enjoy' it?"

Orihime stumbled over her words as she answered, "Um… well.. yea. It was… different." She started scratching the spot behind her head and felt a little better when Ulquiorra came and stood by her side, gently touching her in a gesture of comfort.

Becky turned her attention to the black haired man and said, "I was just asking Orihime about your massage. Sounds like you two had a good time," she giggled and then turned to her own boyfriend, giving him a tight squeeze around his waist and kissing him quickly on the lips.

Ulquiorra felt his body react to the mention of the massage and reached out to place his hand on Orihime's waist as they walked towards the bus. Once they got back to the station and departed the bus, Becky turned to them and said, "Don't forget your bathing suits tonight. Our house is right on the beach so we're all going to go swimming."

"How many people are going?" Orihime asked. She had thought it was going to be just the four of them.

"Oh, just a handful of friends. See ya later!" she called out and waved as she walked away with Derek to their car in the parking lot.

Orihime and Ulquiorra waited a few minutes for a cab. When they got back to the hotel they walked to the nearest fast food place and picked up some food since they'd only had that quick snack at the shop a few hours ago. They brought the food back to their room and sat down on their bed to eat. Orihime looked at the clock and saw that they only had an hour before they had to leave. Between eating, showering and changing they didn't have much time and she found herself disappointed that she didn't have more time to spend alone with Ulquiorra.

When she finished her last bite of food she got up from the bed and started rummaging through her bag for a bathing suit and something to wear that night. She pulled out a white summery dress and her white bikini then strode into the bathroom to take her shower.

Ulquiorra waited for the woman to finish then switched places with her. When he finally emerged from the bathroom, the sun was already beginning to set and Orihime was running a brush through her long hair. She pulled it back into a loose ponytail and Ulquiorra enjoyed the sight of her elegant neck.

She turned to him with a smile and asked, "Are you ready?"

Ulquiorra nodded his head and followed the woman out of their room. It didn't take long for the cab to find the house and soon they were walking up the steps to a huge two-story beach house. Becky was at the door before they were able to ring the bell and she quickly threw her arms around Orihime and then led them inside.

Orihime looked around with her mouth gaping open at the sight. Everything was beautifully decorated and she knew that each piece was probably worth more than her entire apartment combined. She wondered what they did for a living to be able to afford such an amazing place.

It was like Becky could read her mind when she started saying, "My father owns his own Law Firm and Derek and I are partners."

When they stepped through an open doorway to the backside of the house, the room opened up into a larger room with sofas and chairs arranged in different areas. The entire back side wall was made of rows of glass that reached from floor to ceiling and a huge sliding glass door was in the center which led to a wooden deck. From the deck was a staircase that opened up to the beach below.

"This place is incredible Becky," said Orihime as she looked around in awe.

"Thanks!" answered Becky and then grabbed her hand to lead her outside where a bunch of people were already sitting with different drinks in their hands. She introduced them to everyone and then pulled Orihime back inside the house. When Ulquiorra went to follow them, Becky said, "I need to have a moment of girl time with Orihime. We'll be right back." She didn't wait for a response as she closed the door in front of Ulquiorra and left him standing on the deck.

"Hey Ulquiorra," a voice said from a short distance away. "We're about to start a game of volleyball. Want to join in?" Ulquiorra found the person speaking to him and found that it was that annoying girl's fiancé Derek. He didn't know what else to do so he nodded his head and started walking down the stairs to join up with a group of people standing on either side of a large net. Derek pointed to an empty spot and Ulquiorra walked across the cool sand to stand where the guy had told him to.

A large white ball flew through the air and he observed someone on his side of the net extend their arms and bump the ball into the air. Another person on his team, who was standing at the front of the net, lifted the ball with three fingers of each hand as it came towards them and then the other person standing beside him at the net jumped up and hit the white ball violently with a closed fist. The group on the other side of the net did a similar series of motions and when the ball came flying towards him, he quickly extended his arms in the same manner as he'd seen and watched as the ball flew almost straight in the air with a loud smack against his forearms. His teammates quickly took over and soon the ball was flying back over to the other side where it smacked into the sand before a diving Derek was able to save it. He picked up the basics of the game quickly and a few minutes later he found himself enjoying the competition.

Inside the house, Becky dragged a confused Orihime through room after room and finally swung a door open to a large cream colored room with a massive bed in the center. She motioned for Orihime to take a seat and started rummaging through a huge closet in the corner. She emerged with a hanger in one hand and a long plastic dress cover folded over her other arm. She hung the thing up on a hook in the wall and quickly unzipped the bag and pulled out a white lacy dress. The dress was incredibly beautiful with layers of white lace on top of silk running in waves over the skirt.

"It's stunning Becky," said Orihime as she stared at the beautiful dress.

Becky squeaked and started bouncing beside her as she said, "Isn't it! I just had to show you. I take any excuse to pull it out."

Orihime smiled happily at the excited girl and asked, "So when is the wedding?"

"It's in 6 weeks. We're getting married at my parent's house on the beach. They live just a few miles away," Becky answered and started zipping the bag back up over the dress and put it back in the closet. "Oh and check this out," she said and started rummaging through her closet again. A few seconds later she came out with a box and set it on the bed beside Orihime. She took off the top and pulled out a piece of white lace… something. She held it in the air and Orihime felt her face start to get warm.

"It's for the wedding night. Isn't it sexy as hell?" Becky asked as she held the garment against her body. She was a very slender woman with more of a fashion model type figure as opposed to Orihime's rather curvaceous body.

"I.. it's nice," said Orihime. "I don't think I could ever wear something like that."

Becky put the cloth back inside the box and put it away as she said, "With a figure like yours you wouldn't keep a piece of clothing like that on for more than five seconds. Especially not with that boyfriend of yours who looks at you like he wants to devour you with every glance."

Orihime laughed nervously and found herself wondering if what Becky was saying was true. Did Ulquiorra really look at her like that?

"Actually… let me see if I still have that one thing. Hold on, I'll be right back," said Becky as she stepped inside her closet. Orihime couldn't see what she was doing in there so she waited patiently on the bed. When the girl re-emerged she was holding something black in her hands and held it out to Orihime when she stood in front of her. Orihime took the item in her hands and stared at it. It was a lacy top with thin straps and a built in bra type thing. The other piece was a matching thong and Orihime blushed as she held the items in her hands.

"Try it on! I bought that almost a year ago and didn't try it on first and it doesn't fit so I've never worn it. It'll probably fit you perfect since you are so much bigger up top than me." Becky started shoving her into an adjoining bathroom and closed the door once Orihime was inside.

Orihime stared at the bits of fabric in her hands and then closed her eyes to take a deep breath. 'Just because she tried it on doesn't mean she ever has to wear it.' She thought and started to undress to try the pieces on. The top fit snuggly but was big enough to contain her chest. The flowery lace fell down over her stomach and Orihime found that she actually liked the way she looked in it. Truth be told, it actually covered more skin than her bathing suit though every piece of fabric was see-thru. The thong though was a different story. She'd tackle that ball of nerves later.

She quickly changed back into her bathing suit and dress then walked out and smiled shyly at the girl.

"Well, how did it fit?" Becky asked.

"Ah, it fit well," she answered and was quickly grabbed into a tight hug.

"Great! It's yours. Enjoy it!" Becky said and winked. She walked back into the closet and came out with a small box and handed it to Orihime. "You can keep it in that till you go home."

Orihime thanked her and then followed the girl out of the room and through the maze back to the deck outside. She was still holding the box and decided she'd rather leave it inside so she said to Becky before stepping down the stairs to the beach, "I'm going to run inside and put this away. I'll be right back."

She slid the door open and walked inside the large room. She spotted a small chair in the corner and decided to leave it there until they returned. Suddenly a voice echoed around the room and a startled Orihime searched around with her eyes to see who it was. A rather large built man with light brown hair stood in the opened doorway with a half smile on his face.

"Hi there Doll. I've never seen you before. Where are you from?" the man asked as he started sauntering his way in the room towards her.

Orihime gulped down the knot in her throat and replied, "Uh hi. I'm Orihime. I'm on vacation here from Japan." She couldn't help but feel tense as the man approached her. Something about the way he looked at her unsettled her and made her cross her arms over her chest.

"Ah, I see. No wonder I've never noticed you before. I didn't think I'd have overlooked someone as," his eyes slithered over her body as he continued, "delicious as you."

Orihime took a step back as the man came closer to her and she tried to act nonchalant as she said, "Uh well, I better get back outside. My boyfriend," she added emphasis to the last word, "…is waiting for me." She turned to step away but a hand reached out and caught her arm before she could move.

"Your boyfriend that scrawny guy outside with the ghost like skin?" he asked. He towered over her from this angle. His massive chest was bare and the expanse of muscle was right at eye level for Orihime. His tanned skin showed of much time out in the sun and she could see that he had a rather handsome face though something about his appearance seemed menacing. His blue eyes stared down at her as he waited for her answer.

She pulled her arm free from his grip as she said, "Yes. That's my boyfriend. Now please excuse me," she said and turned away and walked out the door. Her steps picked up pace as she walked across the deck and nearly flew down the stairs to the sand. The group was just finishing their game so she ran across the sand and threw her arms around Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra stared down at the woman wide-eyed and slowly put his arms around her. 'What was wrong with her?' he wondered as they stood there. Eventually she turned her face up to his and asked, "Did you have fun?"

He nodded his head but he had a look of concern on his face for the woman. "What is wrong?"

Orihime just shook her head and smiled nervously as she let go of his waist. "Nothing's wrong. Becky showed me her wedding dress. It's beautiful."

Ulquiorra didn't believe the woman for a second but let it pass since she obviously didn't want to talk about it. They walked over to the stairs and started climbing back up to the deck. The rest of the group was already up there and Orihime stiffened when she saw the guy from a few minutes ago standing there as well. Becky walked over to them with two drinks in her hands and handed them each one. They both took a sip and Orihime smiled as she lifted the glass from her lips.

"What is it?' she asked Becky before taking another sip.

"It's a secret concoction that Derek makes me. He knows I like sweet drinks so he invented something for me. He calls it a 'woman's drink,' whatever that means," Becky said and Orihime laughed.

"It's really good," said Orihime and turned to ask Ulquiorra if he liked it.

Ulquiorra nodded and took another large gulp of the liquid.

A few minutes later, Orihime leans over towards Becky and asks, "Who's that?" and then points in the direction of the man laughing near Derek.

Becky frowns and says, "That's Becker. He's one of Derek's old friends. He's a complete jerk and I hate it when Derek invites him. They're barely even friends anymore but Derek still invites him because they used to be really close as kids. They grew up next door to each other."

Orihime nods and steps closer to Ulquiorra.

A couple nearby starts up a conversation with the three of them and soon Derek joins them and Orihime is pleased to see that Ulquiorra comfortably starts speaking to him. She listens to them talk about the volleyball game and she wishes she could have seen him playing. They talk for a while and soon everyone starts heading back down the stairs to sit on the beach.

Before they go, Orihime grabs Becky and Ulquiorra's empty glasses and asks Derek where she could refill their drinks. He says he will help her and they walk inside together.

Ulquiorra offers to help her and she quickly says, "Oh no, it's ok. I'll be right back."

He watches the woman walk away and she turns as she's walking through the glass door and waves to him with a hand full of glasses. She almost drops one and he can almost hear the giggle that escapes her mouth as he watches her through the glass. He follows the rest of the group down the stairs but turns halfway down and decides to go back up and find the woman anyway. He passes Derek on the way and the man says that Orihime had to use the bathroom so she was still inside.

Orihime closes the door behind her and walks back into the small kitchen where their drinks were. She picks up the two glasses and before she takes a step away from the bar, the voice from earlier is behind her and her whole body stiffens.

"Caught you alone again. Your boyfriend doesn't seem to care much if he'll leave you alone inside a strange house," the man she now knew as Becker said and she could tell that he was getting closer. She turned around to face him and was surprised to find him only an arms length away. Instinctively she took a step back.

"He's uh… he's in the bathroom," she lied and took another step back but bumped into the marble counter.

"Doesn't matter," he said and continued to approach her. "You're alone now." He took another few steps and somehow cornered Orihime against the counter and soon his face was so close she could smell the alcohol in his breath.

"P… please leave," Orihime said and leaned as far back as she could.

"But Doll, wouldn't you rather have a man like me? That bony boy you call a boyfriend couldn't possibly please you the way a body like yours deserves," he said and leaned his body against hers.

A spark of anger flares up in Orihime at his words and she pushes him with as much strength as she has and says, "He pleases me better than a Neanderthal like you could ever dream." Unfortunately she underestimates just how big the man was and her push barely budges him and only works to create a large grin to spread over his face.

Out in the hallway, Ulquiorra searches for Orihime and turns when he hears voices a short distance away. He notices one of the voices is Orihime's so he quickens his pace until he hears a mans low voice. He stops outside the room and listens as the man asks _"But Doll, wouldn't you rather have a man like me? That bony boy you call a boyfriend couldn't possibly please you the way a body like yours deserves,"_

His fists clench in anger but he's curious to hear what the woman will say so he waits there quietly. When she answers the mans question, Ulquiorra feels a wave of desire course through him and he waits to see if she will say anything else.

"I highly doubt that. Let a real man show you how it's done," Becker says in response to Orihime's statement and grabs her behind her neck and leans forward to kiss her.

Orihime starts to push him away as hard as she can and wiggles her body until she is sitting on the counter and sliding back against the cabinets. The body in front of her grabs at her waist and pulls her forward, eliciting a cry from her lips. Just as his face was mere inches from hers, a deep growl permeates the room and he stops to see who it is.

"Get away from the woman," the deep voice says and Orihime's whole body quakes with relief.

"I'd like to see you make me," said the big man who was still pining Orihime against the counter.

Ulquiorra walked closer to the man and said again, "Get away from the woman, now."

The man laughs and takes a step closer to Ulquiorra, leaving just enough room that Orihime can slide out from behind him and she runs to Ulquiorra's side. She grabs his arm and starts pulling him to leave the room but he doesn't budge and she's left staring at the two as they face off.

"How can a man like you think he can talk to me like that?" said Becker, just a few feet away from Ulquiorra.

Orihime quickly says, "Ulquiorra let's go. I want to go outside."

Ulquiorra turns his head slightly to look at her and she can see so much anger in them that it makes her suck in her breath. 'This was not good.'

"Ulquiorra please.. I don't want to see anyone get hurt, even if he is a jerk," says Orihime desperately.

The man laughs at her and says, "You think your little boyfriend can hurt me? I could squish a fly like that."

Orihime turns to the man with a new fire in her eyes and takes a step between him and Ulquiorra. "He could destroy you before you even knew what was happening." She started poking a small finger in the man's chest and continued, "You'd fall to your knees in complete agony in front of him. You wouldn't stand a chance."

Ulquiorra watched the woman, amazed by what she was saying and doing. The woman who just a moment before had looked at him with so much fear was now pointing angrily at the man and spitting out words that left him speechless.

Suddenly, Derek and Becky walked into the room and Derek quickly asked, "What is going on here?"

Orihime turned to look at the couple and sighed in relief as Becky started marching with a determined set to her jaw.

"Get out of my house now! I have had enough of your sleaziness," roared Becky as she closed in on Becker.

Derek was close behind her and Orihime watched as Becker turned his eyes to his friend and said, "Aw come on man. You can't side with her. We're buddies."

Derek just shook his head and pointed towards the door.

Becker looked at the room of people and sighed. "Fine. You're a bunch of losers anyway," and he walked out the door and quickly exited the house.

"Oh I'm so sorry Orihime. Are you okay?" Becky asked as she turned to her with genuine kindness in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to upset your friendship," said Orihime.

Derek chimed in and said, "Don't worry about it. That's been on the verge of happening for a while now. I'm glad it's over."

Becky tried to change the subject to get rid of the tense atmosphere and said, "Let's go swimming!"

Orihime smiled and thought that was just the thing they needed right now. She slid her hand inside Ulquiorra's and walked beside him out of the house and down on to the beach. They quickly strip down to their bathing suits and walk into the water where a few other couples were already standing. Becky and Derek join them and the whole group starts a game of Marco Polo. Eventually a few couples start to get distracted and the game comes to an end.

Orihime is standing beside Ulquiorra and smiles up at him shyly. "Thank you for stepping in earlier."

Ulquiorra looks down at the beautiful woman and feels his gut clench. The words she had said earlier when she hadn't known he was listening, came floating back to his mind and the effect they had had on him before, returned to him and he reached a hand out to bring her against his body. He lowered his lips and kissed her slowly, lingering over her soft lips and teasing her with his tongue. He could feel her body respond and her arms reached up and wrapped around his neck. The kiss deepened and soon they were completely absorbed in each other. Their wet bodies slid against each other and hunger overtook them both as their hands searched each other's body with fervor.

They almost forgot they weren't the only ones there so when a soft cough sounds next to them, they are both startled and jump away from each other. Becky giggles beside them and says, "A few people are leaving. I'm going to go say good bye to them. You are welcome to stay if you like. You can even stay in our guest room if you don't want to go back to your hotel."

Orihime composes herself quickly and says, "Oh no that's ok. We're going to leave too. Maybe we can go have dinner tomorrow. It's our last night here and I'd love to see you again before we leave."

Becky agrees and soon Orihime and Ulquiorra are sitting in a cab, heading for their hotel.

**Oh man I'm so tired. I'm calling it a night here. I'll continue tomorrow.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Crap! I'm sorry. I posted the unedited version of the chapter. It's not a whole lot different but this is the corrected version. Some difference's but the storyline is the same.**

Chapter 15

As Ulquiorra and Orihime are riding home, Orihime slides across the seat in the back of the cab and sidles up next to Ulquiorra. He seems to be tense for some reason so she presses herself up close to him and kisses him softly. He returns the kiss but she can tell that something is bothering him so she asks, "What's the matter Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra looks down at the woman against him and wraps his arm more tightly around her, gathering her close to him. He doesn't like to see that look of worry on her face but he can't seem to banish the image of that man pressing himself against her out of his mind. When he'd walked through the doorway to see Orihime being smothered by the large man named Becker, he'd felt more rage building up inside him than he'd ever felt before. Quite simply, he had wanted to kill the man. It had taken everything in him to retain some modicum of self-control. The way the mans hands had reached for her made him shake with uncontrollable anger and he felt Orihime squeeze him tighter in the cab. He remembered how she had stood up to the disgusting man. It had been such a complete shock to him to have someone do something like that for him that at first he hadn't understood what was going on. Her voice had quaked with emotion and Ulquiorra remembered feeling such an incredible wave of some un-nameable emotion shoot through him at her words. He knew the woman could take care of herself if things had gotten out of hand. To be 100% honest, he wasn't sure if he would have been any help at all in the situation. She still had her powers whereas he did not.

He was no longer an Arrancar; that much he was sure about. The physical evidence was obvious but he couldn't help but feel that somehow he wasn't completely human either. When anger had stirred inside of him he had felt that same wave of power wash over him that he had grown accustomed to while he'd been a member of Aizen's army. The only difference was that this time he had felt something containing him; like someone had placed a shield over him which caused him to not be able to release any spiritual energy. It had been immensely frustrating. But he now had hope that maybe his power was still somewhere within and someday he might be able to bring it out again.

The slowing of the cab broke him out of his daydream and shortly after, they were getting out of the car and making their way inside the hotel. Orihime was still holding his hand and her body was pressed lightly against his side as they made their way through the hallways to the elevator. When the steal doors closed and the contraption started moving up, Ulquiorra looked down at the woman and her smile made the same emotion he'd felt earlier, when she had stood up for him that night, burst inside his body. His hands started to shake with the power and it suddenly felt like his whole body was pulsating with warmth and light. His whole being seemed to vibrate from within until he couldn't help his reaction and the next instant he was pushing against Orihime and backing her up against the wall. His lips crushed hers in a searing kiss and his entire body shuddered as he tried to contain the strange feeling that crept over every inch of his body. He wanted every part of her. He wanted her warmth, her light, her gentleness, her compassion, her trust, her body, and her mind. He wanted it all.

Orihime responded to his touch with an intensity of her own. She had never heard a sweeter sound than when she had heard him enter the room back at Becky's house. Her protector was there. He would always protect her, and she would always love him. The reality of her feelings had stunned her at first. She didn't know when it had happened or where it had come to fruition but it was painfully obvious to her now. Maybe she had known even when she'd been a prisoner at Las Noches. She surely had felt something for the man during that time though it had been hidden behind layers and layers of fear and confusion.

The lips pressing against hers searched demandingly; like he was trying to find some hidden treasure within her. She tried to convey the love she now felt and wrapped her arms tightly around his hard body. Her body started to shiver with the emotion and as a small whimper passed through her, she pressed up into his kiss with shaking lips.

Her body was rocked back against the wall from Ulquiorra's response and both of their hands started reaching maddeningly for the other. Orihime grabbed his mass of black hair and felt his hands grab her rear and lift her legs to wrap around his waist. Their mouths broke apart as they both moaned at the feeling of their hips pressing tightly together and then the hand that had lifted her legs started to slide up her thigh and pass under her dress to caress the soft flesh beneath.

The ding of the elevator stopping was like a blaring alarm as the two quickly broke apart when the door started to open. An elderly couple stood outside the door and caught a glimpse of the young couple disentangling themselves before the two ran out of the elevator and vanished down another hallway. The older man chuckled at the sight and the woman at his side tried to suppress a laugh of her own.

Orihime searched her bag for the little card that would gain them entrance to their room. She was incredibly distracted by the man behind her, rubbing his body against hers and reaching his hands around to touch her chest and stomach. His groin pressed hotly against her behind and she could feel an answering warmth starting to spread in the area.

She finally found the key and fumbled as she tried to slide it in the slot. A pale hand reached out from behind her and stole the key from her then slid the card quickly into the slot. The door clicked open and an instant later, the two went crashing through. They heard it slam shut behind them but they didn't break the kiss that had them both gasping for breath. They barely made it five feet inside the room before Ulquiorra was once again pressing her against the wall and lifting her legs to hug his hips.

Orihime grabbed at Ulquiorra's shirt and started almost ripping the thing off his body. She tugged the frustrating fabric over his head and when it finally was completely off; she flung the thing to the floor and pressed her hands greedily to his muscular chest. Their mouths devoured each others and Ulquiorra's hands grabbed her closely against him and started walking across the room as they continued to kiss. His legs bumped into the side of the bed and he placed a knee on the edge then moved them both towards the center before letting them fall forward on to the soft mattress.

Ulquiorra's mouth started to wander from her lips and he kissed a path down her neck and then ran into the knotted string of her bikini top. He pulled the two pieces apart and then pressed a hungry kiss to the skin between her neck and collarbone. His lips caressed the skin across her shoulder and his hands started to slide the strap of her dress down her arm. He could feel the woman's hands searching every inch of his back and her own lips were sucking on the sensitive skin of his neck.

The ache in his groin became painfully demanding as he rested his hips over Orihime's. All the fabric between their bodies seemed to be a tremendous obstacle and he started reaching for the bottom of the dress. His hand skimmed up her leg and then bunched into the fabric of her dress. He pulled the thing up her body and Orihime helped by arching her back off the bed as he slid it up and over her head. They kissed before Orihime's back fell on to the bed and her bikini top fell off her chest since the strings had already been untied. She quickly undid the knot behind her back and the piece fell off completely.

Ulquiorra looked down at the woman now lying almost completely naked beneath him. Her beautiful breasts bounced with every movement of the bed and her lips were swollen from his demanding kisses. He wanted to see all of her. He wanted to see her beautiful body completely uncovered.

Orihime saw where his eyes were concentrated and felt a nervous twist in her gut. Butterflies started flying around her stomach and when his hand reached out to stroke the skin above her bathing suit bottom, the feelings dissolved into a blissful need so slowly, she started to untie the knots on each hip. The pieces hung loosely at her sides and Ulquiorra looked into her face with unconcealed longing. Orihime nodded her head and let a small smile play on her lips as he looked at her then felt his hand start to move over her stomach and lightly grasp the fabric that lay unbound over her womanhood. The fabric slid off easily and Orihime squeezed her eyes tightly together as the hand started to move painfully slowly down her body.

Ulquiorra watched the woman beneath him. Her face betrayed her nervousness so he slowed his movements and leaned forward to kiss her softly. Their lips teased and nipped at each other. He could feel Orihime becoming restless beneath him and soon her lips became demanding and her body started to arch up to rub against his. 'Maybe she wasn't as nervous as he thought.'

When her hands skimmed over his chest and stomach then started working at the ties of his own swim trunks, he allowed himself to sit back between her legs and look down at the perfect figure stretched out in front of him. Her hands were still reaching out and pulling at the strings of his shorts and when she finally had them undone, she sat up and slowly pulled the shorts down his hips, revealing his large erection. They stared at each other, Ulquiorra kneeling between her legs.

Their eyes drank in the sight of the other and Orihime reached her hands out to pull the shorts farther down his legs. Ulquiorra helped and soon twisted his way out of his suit and went back to kneeling between her legs. He watched her eyes move over every inch of his body from his face down to his waist. She only hesitated a moment before she looked at his arousal and Ulquiorra felt his body shudder in response to her perusal. He allowed himself the same liberty and admired every curve of her body. She was so incredibly beautiful. Every inch of skin was perfection and the way her tiny waist flared out to deliciously curved hips made him crazy with lust. He couldn't contain himself any longer and leaned forward to kiss her firmly on the mouth. Her answering moan encouraged him and soon he was lying on top of her on the bed. He wanted to taste every inch of her sumptuous body.

He started licking down her neck and then covered her shoulders with kisses. His lips found their way down to her large breasts and lingered over each nipple. His tongue traced the hard nubs and he could hear the woman's rapid intake of breath as his tongue flicked over each sensitive spot. He worked his way down over her stomach and felt her fingers tangle in his hair as he moved lower and lower.

Orihime could feel her heart beating faster and faster as the man over her started kissing his way from her bellybutton down towards her most sensitive area. Her body anticipated his movements and started pulsing with a need she'd never felt before. When his lips found the curly nest at the juncture of her thighs, she held her breath and clenched the blankets in her hands. She could feel his breath whisper over her moist flesh as he hovered over her and the feeling made her stomach muscles tighten until she thought she would burst.

She almost groaned in disappointment when his lips pressed against the inside of her quivering thigh. His warm mouth bit lightly at the soft flesh and his tongue started to trace the shallow indents his teeth had made. When his teeth had touched her, she had almost screamed in shocked amazement at the incredible feeling it created. She was no longer embarrassed about her state of undress and found her hips pressing upwards in her agonized frustration. Instead of moving up, his lips started to move down her legs towards her knees, savoring each wonderful inch of skin and then moving to the other leg. She felt him creep slowly up the inside of her thigh and soon his teeth were once again nipping the delicate spot just south of her private center. She didn't think she could stand another moment of the sweet torture. Her hands reached down and grasped several tufts of hair and his breath started caress the area she most wanted his lips to touch. She waited for what seemed like a century for him to touch her; her stomach muscles contracting at the mere thought of it.

Then, ever so gently, his lips kissed the sensitive ball of nerves. His warm mouth captured the wet bud and began to suck lightly. She'd never felt so much pleasure in her life. Her whole body started shaking with an incredible feeling and when his tongue started to lick the area, she couldn't contain the spasms that started wracking her body. Every muscle in her body clenched in anticipation as wave after waving of pleasure mounted rapidly inside. Suddenly, her body exploded in a sea of red and her entire body started pulsing with an exquisitely sensitive feeling. His tongue was still stroking her sensitive flesh and she quickly grabbed his hair and pulled his face up to hers for a searing kiss. She could taste herself on his lips and somehow it turned her on even more. The way he kissed her told her he was excited as well.

Ulquiorra tried to keep his hips away from hers as she pulled him to her but the draw to her warmth was like a drug he couldn't resist. His hard erection pressed against the inside of her thigh and he continued to kiss the woman till he felt her wiggle beneath him. She broke the kiss and looked up into his face.

"Please Ulquiorra. I want you so badly," Orihime said and Ulquiorra's entire bod incinerated at her words. She wanted him. He wanted her.

He felt the woman's legs part and lift up to wrap around his hips. His sex was just a small thrust away from entering her and he gulped audibly as he looked into the passion filled face of the woman beneath him. Her eyes told him everything he needed to know. His arousal lightly brushed against the soft curls and slowly pushed forward until the tip of his erection was pressed against her opening. His whole body was covered in a sheen of sweat as he concentrated and slowly he inched his way inside her hot, wet sheath. The tightness was incredible and he felt his whole body responding to the feeling. Something stopped his decent and he looked up into Orihime's face to see if he was hurting her as he butted against the thin membrane.

Her eyes were closed tightly and he started to leave her but she quickly reached out and stopped his movement with a hand to his back. "Just push through Ulquiorra. It's ok," she said and reached her other hand up to his back and grabbed the wet skin as he slid up against her virginal barrier again.

This time he didn't stop. With a quick thrust of his hips, he burst through the barrier and sunk himself deep within the woman. His body shook with the incredible feeling of being completely enveloped in her wet heat. He opened his eyes to see if Orihime was ok and she looked back at him with so much warmth it melted his heart. His hips slowly slid back and then pushed forward as he watched her face. Her eyes closed as he moved himself inside her body and a wrinkle creased her brow, causing him to pause in his movements and look at her in concern.

Without opening her eyes she said, "Its ok. It only hurt for a second. I'm getting used to it."

Ulquiorra hated bringing her any sort of pain but the lure of her tight depths was too much for him so he slowly started moving inside her again. He listened to her ragged breaths as he pushed in and out of her and eventually her legs started to tighten around his hips and soon she was meeting his thrusts with ones of her own. Their bodies fell into a natural rhythm and soon they were both panting and their bodies were glistening with sweat and making the sexiest noises as they rubbed together. Ulquiorra increased the speed of his thrusts and soon found himself getting close to the release he sought. Her passion-moistened depths started to clench tightly around his shaft and when his hips pounded against a certain spot, he found she reacted with cries of pleasure. He moved against the same spot, digging in deeply and increasing the speed of his thrusts until he felt the muscles of her womanhood clench tightly around him and he was lost as he exploded deep within her. His hot semen seeped into her pulsating body and they both clutched at each other as they road the wave of their releases.

The sound of Ulquiorra's ragged breathing beside her ear was the sweetest music. She could lay like this forever with him deep inside her and his sweat covered body lying over hers. She felt a light kiss against her neck and she smiled as he lifted himself up and looked down at her. His emerald green eyes stared at her with so much emotion that she had to choke back a sob that traveled up her throat. She reached up and brought his mouth back down to hers for a long, lingering slow kiss. Their tongues played with each others and teeth nipped as their bodies settled together.

Ulquiorra wanted to say something to the woman but his mind couldn't figure out the right words. He couldn't understand the feelings running through his brain so instead, he kissed her with all the feelings inside of him. His body reacted to the intimate kiss and soon felt his erection begin to twitch inside her again. He knew she would be sore so he slowly withdrew from her depths and rolled over on to his back beside her. Orihime was quick to follow though and rolled over until she was lying on top of him. Her lips greedily sought out his and he broke away from her before his body started to tighten with need again.

"Orihime, we can't…" he began to say but she stopped him with a finger to his lips and started kissing his neck. Her luscious body pressed against his and it was futile to stop the rising need within him. Her hips started to grind against his and she lifted herself up and sat over him. He watched her breasts bounce and sway as she moved over him and then her eyes opened before she said, "Ulquiorra, show me how."

He felt his arousal harden even more and he reached his hands out and grasped her hips. He lifted her slightly and then with one hand, guided himself to her opening. He dropped his hands to the bed and released her to allow her to take control.

Agonizingly slowly, Orihime slid down his length and settled herself over him. She savored every hard inch and felt her body accommodate his size until he was completely sheathed inside. He felt incredible inside her and she arched her back as she started moving her hips against him. She experimented with her movements; seeing what made his body react and enjoying the way his face showed her exactly what he was feeling. The muscles in her thighs started to clench and her body began to move up and down his hardness. Her rhythm increased as she became more confident in her movements and soon she was riding him and uttering tiny moans and cries of bliss from her lips.

Ulquiorra watched her above him and lost himself in her passion. She was so tight and her amazing body was a feast for his eyes as she moved over him. Her body started to press against his demandingly and he watched as she cried out and threw back her head. She road him hard and when her tunnel started to contract in spasms of pleasure, she collapsed on top of him and Ulquiorra rolled them over and started pushing himself in and out of her. His forehead rested against hers as he slid deep inside her and the memory of her face as she found her release came flashing back in his mind, driving him crazy with lust. He started thrusting deeply and soon felt his own rising pleasure. His body tightened and with a final push, came inside her with a loud moan slipping from his mouth. He couldn't find the strength to hold himself up so he fell against her and settled his head beside hers on the mattress.

Many minutes later, Ulquiorra lifted himself from the woman's body and moved beside her on the bed. He pulled her against his side and stared unseeing at the ceiling above.

Orihime rolled over on to her side to face Ulquiorra and started trailing a finger over his chest and stomach. She didn't pause her movements as she said, "I guess I didn't need the magazine for that."

Ulquiorra turned his eyes towards the woman and asked, "What do you mean?"

The woman giggled and answered, "Well, that magazine I bought a few days ago has been giving me some pointers but I didn't use any of them tonight."

He remembered the magazine and the strange things he'd briefly read inside and shook his head in unbelief. 'How long had she been trying to seduce him?' The thought made his body react with excitement and he couldn't believe he could possibly withstand another time. He rolled on to his side to lye face to face with the woman. His fingers traced over her face and then he leaned forward to kiss her softly. When he pulled back, Orihime was smiling and nervously playing with a strand of her hair.

"Can we go under the covers? I'm getting a little cold," she asked and hoped he didn't see that she was feeling a little uncomfortable lying on the bed completely naked in front of him. It was silly considering what they'd just done together but the feeling was still there regardless.

Without answering, Ulquiorra rolled off the bed and waited for Orihime to do the same before he picked up the blankets and they both slid underneath together. Their bodies tangled together intimately and Orihime closed her eyes as she settled against him. Barely a minute later, her chest started to rise and fall in a slow, deep rhythm and Ulquiorra could tell that she had fallen asleep.

His own eyelids started to grow heavy and he too was asleep within minutes.

XxXxXxX

Orihime felt her muscles groan as she stretched the next morning. It was strange feeling soreness between her legs but it was also oddly erotic. The body lying next to her was still sleeping deeply and the lure of his body was just too much for her to resist. She'd had a taste of him the other day when they were experimenting with their passion but it had ended too quickly and she now yearned for a better sampling.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, Orihime slipped under the covers and inched her way between his thighs. She had to gently spread them apart as she wiggled her way up and when her head finally found his dormant member she sucked the tip up into her mouth and let her tongue slide across the velvety skin. She loved the way he felt in her mouth as with every movement from her caused the shaft to grow. Soon he was filling her mouth and her lips slid up and down the thick length. She knew the instant he woke up by the way his entire body tensed up.

Ulquiorra couldn't believe what the woman was doing. He'd woken up to complete bliss. As reality slowly dawned on him, his body reacted to the knowledge of what she was doing. He threw back the covers and moaned at the sight of her beautiful face bobbing up and down his arousal. Her soft lips were wrapped sensually around his cock and a trail of saliva was left as her mouth moved.

"Orihime, what… ohhh mmmm… what are you doing?" he asked, gritting his teeth as her lips sucked greedily on him. Her eyes lifted up to look at him and he watched her slide slowly down his length and then back up, releasing him with a last lick of her tongue on his head.

"I umm, thought you would like it," she responded and a blush crept into her cheeks. Her fingers started to slide up and down him as she looked into his beautiful face.

He sucked in a breath as her fingers slid over his tip and said huskily to her, "Come here."

She giggled as she crawled up and planted a firm kiss to his eager lips. He rolled them over and let his body slide over hers as his lips kissed hers deeply. His hands ran up and down her sensual curves and her legs parted in an age old invitation.

He resisted the temptation with barely held restraint and started turning her body over so she rested on her stomach. She turned her head to the side with a confused look and then gasped when his hands pushed her hair to the side and his lips brushed against the top of her spine. His mouth followed the path all the way down the center of her back and stopped at the base. His fingers worked magic along her sides and every muscle in her back clenched in anticipation for the next caress. When his hands moved to her rounded backside and squeezed the plump cheeks, she heard what sounded like a growl come from behind her and a second later his hands were lifting her hips in the air until she was resting on her knees in front of him. Her chest was still pressed against the bed and she supported herself on arms resting over her head. She tilted her head back to see what he was doing then suddenly she felt him poking her entrance with his erection. Her hands clutched the sheets in front of her face as he slid slowly inside of her. He took his time entering her, letting her adjust to the feel of him.

Orihime was going crazy as his shaft filled her with devastating slowness. His hands were grabbing her hips, controlling their movements and she felt tremendous frustration from the position. When he was seated half way inside her, she couldn't take it anymore and pushed back against his hips with wild abandon. Her head flew back in an anguished cry as his entire length pressed greedily into her. It was so deep and it hit a spot that made her body quiver with undisguised longing. As he slid back and then thrust forward, she moaned again and bit the sheets beneath her. Every time he moved he created a slowly building pressure inside her and soon she found herself gasping for breath.

"Ulqui… I can't… Oh God… please," she cried as he slowed his hips down and slid out of her body. She turned to look at him with so much disappointment spreading across her face that Ulquiorra would have chuckled if not for the desire coursing through him.

"Turn over Orihime," he said and she quickly rolled over on to her back and waited anxiously for him to join her. He slid between her legs and entered her in one quick thrust of his hips. His lips claimed hers in a frantic, passionate kiss and their moans rolled together in a chorus of sexual delight.

Orihime clutched his back as she felt the rising tension build inside of her. Her body shuttered then climaxed and the feeling of her tight warmth pulsating around his cock drove him over the edge till he was slamming his hips against her and shooting his seed deep inside. His arms gave out beneath him and he fell over onto his back, narrowly avoiding falling on top of Orihime who was busy trying to catch her own breath.

After several minutes, Orihime finally found the strength to say, "I'm glad we don't have any plans till this evening."

Ulquiorra turned his face to look at the woman and the smile that she gave him made his own lips turn up slightly. She crawled over him and held herself up with outstretched arms positioned on each side of his head. "Do you wanna go to the beach for a little while? This is our last day here," she said and a hint of disappointment crept into her voice.

He lifted his face and kissed her softly on the mouth before saying, "Sure."

Orihime jumped off his body and practically skipped around the room, picking up her discarded bathing suit from last night. Ulquiorra grabbed his shorts which were still draped over the side of the bed and slid them on and then grabbed a shirt from his bag and pulled it over his head. When his face popped through the opening, he noticed Orihime staring at him and he raised an eyebrow in question.

She quickly turned her eyes away and finished pulling a yellow cotton dress over herself then grabbed her small bag with the key and headed out the door.

The beach was quite crowded as they walked out over the sand. They found a spot far off to the side and laid out their blanket then walked casually into the water, hand in hand. As soon as the water started lapping at their waists, Orihime couldn't contain the excitement that always bubbles up inside of her when she gets in water and soon she was diving around and body surfing the waves as they came by. Ulquiorra would have been content just watching her but she insisted that he join and a few minutes later she was crawling on to his back again and pointing towards the incoming waves.

They played for a while until both of them were getting hungry so they walked to the snack bar and bought some hot dogs, chips and a soda then brought it all back with them to their blanket. They chatted comfortably as they ate and then Orihime laid back to enjoy the bright sun. She popped an eye open a minute later and looked at Ulquiorra who was still sitting beside her, looking out at the water.

"Is everything ok?" she asked and lifted herself up on her elbows.

He turned his head and answered the woman, "Yes I'm fine."

She paused for a few seconds to search his face and then lay back down and closed her eyes. Ulquiorra watched the woman beside him and let his thoughts wander. The past few days had been so dramatically different from anything he was used to and he needed to collect his thoughts to process it all.

He had spent years roaming around Hueco Mundo alone. He'd never really minded the solitude. Somehow he knew his previous life hadn't been much different. Then Aizen-sama had appeared and broken him out of his life of wandering. He'd made him stronger. The life he'd lived while in Las Noches was not much different than he was used to. The cool white hallways and large rooms kept him from most of the other Espada so for the most part he was still alone. But he'd had a purpose now. He devoted his life to that purpose until one day his life was forever changed.

The orders to investigate the world of the living had been the start. When he was told to bring the woman back to Las Noches he never knew how much she would affect him. His order to take care of her forced him to be in constant company with the woman and he soon found himself fascinated by her. He knew she had been the main reason he'd come back to life.

The past week had been a fantasy life to him. He still couldn't believe what had happened between them. His brain wouldn't let him believe that a woman like her could possibly want him as even a friend, much less a lover. But what will happen when they go back home tomorrow? Will she thank him for accompanying her on her vacation and say farewell? Will she remember who her real friends are and forget him? Did she still have feelings for that orange haired shinigami?

The thoughts ravaged his brain and he felt a mounting despair cloud his vision. His whole body felt like it was going to shatter from the inside out so he tried to focus on the waves rolling in and the sounds around him. It was no use though. The overwhelming ache continued to pound through him and he could feel his body start to rock back and forth rapidly where he sat.

Suddenly, two small arms wrapped themselves around him from behind and a pair of legs slid around either side of his. The arms squeezed him so tight he almost couldn't breathe and then the sweetest kiss was placed on the back of his neck. They sat like that for several minutes. Her head rested on his bare back and her arms only slightly loosened their grip. He thought his whole body was going to explode with the emotions running through him. At least he had one more day.

He removed the hands from his chest and slowly turned to face the woman. Her large grey eyes looked at him with so much kindness and he hoped his own returned at least half the gratitude he felt. He reached a hand up and stroked her cheek then watched her crawl around him and settle between his bent knees and leaned against his torso.

"Can we just stay like this forever?" she said a few minutes later, her head leaning against his chest and her eyes closed.

"If that is what you want," he answered and watched the woman snuggle closer to him and grin.

"Mmm yes, that's what I want," she said and then opened her eyes with a wicked gleam in them. "But there's a lot of things I want," she said as she turned to look at him and then continued, "and right now I want to swim with you again." She got up from the blanket and reached a hand out to help him up. He followed her into the water but instead of her jumping onto his back, she reached her arms up and wrapped them around his shoulders. She held him like that for a while; enjoying the waves lapping around their bodies.

"We should go back to the room and get ready. We're supposed to meet Becky and Derek for dinner tonight. I'm not even sure where we are going yet," said Orihime but she didn't release him. Instead she lifted her lips to his and kissed him warmly. "Then again, it might be dangerous if we go back to the room," she said and winked before she started swimming back to shore.

'She never ceased to amaze him,' he thought as he watched her walk out of the water and grab a blanket to dry off with.


	16. Chapter 16

**I just wanted to send a quick thank you to everyone who's been reviewing. I love them! **

**Chapter 16**

Up in their room, Orihime started grabbing clothes for the evening and then walked into the bathroom but before she shut the door, she paused for a moment and then leaned around the doorframe to say, "Ulquiorra? Would you uh… maybe wanna join me?" She watched his confused eyes lift up to hers from across the room.

"In the bathroom?" he asked.

Orihime laughed and said, "Well yes but more specifically, in the shower."

When he just stared at her wide-eyed, she waved her hand for him to come and said, "It'll be fun! I promise." He started to stride hesitantly across the room and Orihime closed the door behind him when he finally walked into the bathroom. She'd seen people do this in movies and it had always been something she'd been secretly fascinated with.

She felt a bit nervous at first when she started taking her bathing suit off but she shook her head and said, 'This is ridiculous. He's seen me naked many times now.' The fact that he was staring at her didn't help her nerves but soon she was slipping off the suit bottoms and stepping into the shower. She turned the water up as hot as she could stand it and then peaked her head around the frosted glass door to see what Ulquiorra was doing.

"Are you going to come in?" she asked while he stood there, still looking completely confused.

His hands quickly went to work on the ties of his trunks and a moment later they were falling to the ground at his feet. He stepped into the white tub and slid the glass shut behind him. In front of him, Orihime was standing beneath the running water with her head tilted back. Her perky white breasts had streams of water running over them and he wanted to lick the creamy mounds and suck on the pink erect nipples. Instead though, he stood there and gulped loudly when she opened her eyes and smiled at him.

She took a step forward and placed her wet hands on his chest. Her fingers slid up and wrapped around his neck and brought his face down for a long kiss. He quickly forgot his awkwardness and started running his hands down her smooth back. She took a step back but didn't release him and the two now stood beneath the running water.

Ulquiorra loved the feel of her wet body as his hands ran over every inch within his reach. When she broke off the kiss, he was disappointed as she took a step away and grabbed the bar of soap. She handed the white brick over to him and said when he stared at her strangely, "I'll wash you if you wash me."

He paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and lathering his hands up with soapy bubbles. He started at her shoulders and slowly worked his way down her chest and stomach. Orihime didn't think her breasts had ever been so clean before but the caresses had left her breathing heavy and her body was shaking slightly with longing. When his hand started moving to her women's center she placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to steady herself. She was lucky she did because the moment he touched her her knees went weak and she nearly collapsed over him.

A few minutes later, Ulquiorra handed the bar of soap over to her unsteady hand. As soon as she started rubbing her hands over his bare wet chest she lost it. She practically jumped on him in her need and started kissing him with wild abandonment. Her body pushed him back until he was standing against the tiled wall and she clung tightly to his shoulders as she thrust her tongue into his mouth.

His hands reached down and lifted her legs around his waist and then he turned them around until her back was pressed against the cool tile. He held her with one arm and then guided himself inside of her with his other. When his fully engorged penis was completely buried within her wet heat, he placed a hand on the wall behind Orihime and started thrusting deeply inside her.

Orihime clung tightly to his ripped body. Her cries rang out through the small bathroom and soon they mingled with Ulquiorra's moans and heated words. The sound of their wet bodies slapping together added to the symphony and neither had ever heard anything so erotic before.

Their lips met and hungrily devoured each other as both neared their sexual releases. When Orihime came shuttering and crying out Ulquiorra's name, she clenched her feminine muscles and waited while he climbed closer and closer to his own release. A moment later, Ulquiorra moaned deeply in the back of his throat and thrust one last time before his cum shot deeply inside her body.

Ulquiorra slowly let Orihime slide down his body till her feet were on the floor. She steadied herself against him, her legs surprisingly weak from the exertion and then started finishing her cleaning job. She washed every delicious inch of him and then watched as the suds slid down his body when he stood under the shower head. He was so amazingly sexy.

They quickly washed their hair and left the warm water with only a few dozen kisses and caresses passed between them. Orihime didn't dare suggest toweling each other off since she didn't think she could stand touching him anymore without jumping him again. They got dressed and when they walked back out to the main room, Orihime noticed the red light lit up on the phone, signaling that they had a message.

Becky was on the machine, asking her to call her back about dinner so she quickly dialed her number and waited for her answer.

"Hello?" said Becky's cheery voice.

"Hi Becky, its Orihime. I just got your message. When did you wanna go?" asked Orihime as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Ulquiorra watched the woman while she talked animatedly on the phone with her new friend. He took a seat on the foot of the bed and waited for her to finish and when she hung up he listened to her explain their plans.

Becky and Derek were going to pick them up at the front of the hotel and then they would go to a favorite restaurant of theirs a few miles away. When Ulquiorra and Orihime walked outside, they quickly got into the backseat of Derek's car and they started driving towards the restaurant.

"You left your box in our place last night. I put it in the middle seat back there for you Orihime," said Becky and Orihime started to blush at the reminder of the black lingerie.

"Oh, thanks," she said quickly, picking up the box and holding it against her chest in case Ulquiorra got curious.

He hadn't been interested before but now as he watched the way Orihime clutched the box to her he started to wonder what could be inside that made her so nervous. He shrugged it off and watched their surroundings as they wound down the road and slowly pulled into a small parking lot.

Dinner went by surprisingly quickly and when the couple dropped them off back at the hotel, they all got out of the car. Becky gave Orihime a tight hug and made her promise to keep in touch. She even gave Ulquiorra a quick hug and then Derek shook both of their hands with a genuine smile spreading over his handsome face.

Orihime tucked the small box beneath her arm as they started walking back into the hotel and finding their room. She looked down at their open luggage and frowned, the reality that tonight was their last night here made her sad and she sighed heavily before bending over and starting to pack everything up. She stuck the box in a deep corner of the bag and then helped Ulquiorra finish packing up his bag. They kept out and outfit for their trip home tomorrow and their pajamas.

When everything was packed and set, they both changed into the night clothes and slid into bed. They sought each other out in the center of the bed and held each other close.

"I had such a good time. I don't want it all to end," said Orihime, her head resting against Ulquiorra's muscular chest. It was true that she had really enjoyed their vacation but what she really didn't want to end was their intimacy. Their future was so uncertain and she hated the thought of not being with him when they got home. She wasn't ready for the reality of day to day life. She'd finally found love. The thought of giving it up was beyond bearable but she had no idea how he felt. She knew he lusted for her, but did he care for her the way she did for him?

"Ulquiorra?" she said quietly.

"Hmm…" he answered back just as quietly.

"What are you going to… umm…" she paused as her courage started to drain away and asked instead, "Can you set the alarm? We need to be up by 7am for our flight tomorrow."

She watched him roll out of her arms and start pressing buttons on the small device then rolled back over. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips as his arms wrapped back around her, tighter than they had been before. She decided to not let such depressing thoughts ruin her last night so she turned her face towards his and kissed him softly. The kiss grew and expanded to a point where neither had a care for anything else in the world besides the lips touching theirs. Every sense was completely enraptured and every thought centered around that kiss. Neither could even remember breathing.

When they finally broke apart, they could only stare at each other; both longing to say words that scared them equally. After what seemed like hours, they seemed to both lose patience in themselves and they threw themselves at each other; lips entwining, hands searching maddeningly, bodies pressing tightly together in desperation. When they finally came together in a timeless joining, it was with whimpers of pleasure and desperate arms holding the other tightly.

Neither found sleep easily that night.

When the alarm went off the next morning, Orihime groaned at the noise and buried her face in Ulquiorra's neck. "Make it stop," she said and it came out muffled against his skin.

Ulquiorra quickly slapped a hand on the obnoxious object and then wrapped his arm back around Orihime. Orihime didn't want to leave the cocoon of warmth and snuggled closer when his hand started to rub up and down her back.

When the alarm rang out again, Ulquiorra reached over and flipped the switch till the machine was off. Orihime raised herself up and sat on the bed looking at Ulquiorra who was rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and yawning. She turned to look at the clock and saw that they didn't have much time. They still needed to get dressed, check out and get a cab to take them to the train station and then onward to the airport.

Modesty was of no concern to each of them as they slid on their clothes and then went about their morning rituals. They checked out soon after and within an hour they were walking through JFK airport with their luggage rolling behind them. The plane left on time and when they landed, it was morning again.

The bus dropped them off at the corner near her place and they walked closely together, hand in hand down the sidewalk with their luggage in tow. Orihime could see someone standing in front of her door, and squinted to see who it was. Orange spiky hair came to focus and when the figure turned to face them, she saw a look of complete shock cross his face.

Ulquiorra stared at the man in front of him. This is the moment he had been dreading for days now and he wasn't sure he was prepared for what was about to happen. She could destroy everything inside of him this very instant. His heart beat rapidly as he stood there. He tried desperately to control the tremors that threatened to shake his whole body. Would she release his hand in embarrassment at being caught? Would she pretend he wasn't there? A thousand horrible things ran through his head about what she could do that would rip his heart to shreds as they stood there. He felt the woman tense at his side and his whole body felt like it was going to crumble in despair as he waited for her to remove her hand. Then… suddenly, her hand tightened around his and her body shifted closer to his side. Something exploded inside his chest and sparks of heat spread through his body. An overwhelming sense of protection ran through him and he found himself clenching his jaw and stepping slightly between the woman and Ichigo Kurosaki. A ridiculous gesture he knew since this was the man that had risked his life to save Orihime but the need was still there to shield her from anything bothering her.

The teenager finally opened his mouth and said, "Inoue, what is he… where have you been?"

Orihime gathered her courage and said, "We went to New York for a vacation that my Aunt gave to me as my graduation present."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? And where… where did he come from?" Ichigo asked, pointing towards Ulquiorra's stiff form.

"It was kinda last minute," she answered uncomfortably and then continued, "he came from Las Noches silly. Where'd you think he'd come from?"

Ichigo scratched his head in disbelief at what Orihime was saying. "But…" he groaned in frustration, "I watched him… die. How… and he looks almost human now."

"Well, we don't really understand it either but," she fumbled with words and Ulquiorra quickly cut in to help.

"Neither of us can figure out what happened to bring me here but from what we've learned, I am for the most part human and you need not worry, I am no danger to the woman," said Ulquiorra who then watched as Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in front of them.

"Well, you should have told someone you were leaving. Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad, all of us were worried sick about you and you didn't even answer your phone the entire time," said Ichigo in an angry voice but Orihime could tell he wasn't really mad.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun. I should have told someone. I didn't mean to upset anyone. We were just in such a hurry and I didn't even think about it," answered Orihime apologetically.

"Yea ok. Just let everyone know you're back. I'm a… I'm gonna go back home now. Rukia and Renji are visiting. You should…," Ichigo stumbled as he continued; "you guys should come over later."

"Sure! Did you have anything planned?' Orihime asked and started digging through her purse for her keys. Ulquiorra took her suitcase from her as she dug around and soon produced the sought for keys. Ichigo watched the companionable way the two were standing there. It was like watching a married couple who'd been together for thirty plus years. He had to shake his head before he continued.

"Not really. They'll probably just hang around my room like they always do. My families out of town for the next two weeks so they invited themselves over," said Ichigo with a roll of his eyes.

Orihime slid the key into the lock and opened the door wide as she said, "We have to unpack and do some grocery shopping but we'll be over later."

"Uh, ok. See ya later Inoue… and umm, Ulquiorra," said Ichigo uncomfortably and started walking back home.

'What the hell was that all about?' Ichigo wondered as he walked down the street. He'd wanted to ask more questions but it had been such a shock to see the two of them together that everything in his brain had just evaporated. If it wasn't enough of a shock seeing the man he had thought he'd killed standing in front of him, the sight of their joined hands pushed him passed shock to outright confusion.

It was strange seeing that man again. A part of him had wanted to flinch in fear at one of the most terrifying opponents he'd ever faced but another part of him was immensely relieved. He'd hated living with the knowledge that he had killed someone.

He ran a hand through his spiky hair as he quickened his steps. He hoped Renji and Rukia would get there early. He wanted to talk to them about what just happened.

Ulquiorra followed the woman inside her place and closed the door behind them. He dropped the suitcases and waited as Orihime stood motionlessly in the center of the room. When she finally moved, her face turned towards his and she smiled widely before jumping across the space between them and throwing her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his and squeaked in excitement.

'He was still here. He hadn't left her!' she thought to herself as she pressed another quick kiss to his lips.

Ulquiorra stared at the girl wide-eyed, wondering what could have possibly caused her to make such a strange noise. That aside, he enjoyed the fact immensely that she had just kissed him. Slowly his fears were disappearing bit by bit.

"Let's go unpack and wash up. I feel nasty after that plane ride," said Orihime and then grunted as she lifted her bag and started walking towards her room. Once inside, she started pulling all the clothes out and throwing them into a nearby hamper then proceeded to do the same with Ulquiorra's clothes. "I'm gonna start a load of laundry. Can you grab the rest of the stuff out of our bags?" she asked with a pile of clothing in her arms.

He nodded his head and started digging through the bags, pulling out bottles of stuff which he had no idea what they contained. When Orihime came back, the contents of the bags were lined up neatly on the floor and Orihime grabbed the empty bags and shoved them back in her closet. She bent over and picked up the stuff Ulquiorra had emptied out and disappeared again from the room. A minute later, she walked back in and smiled at Ulquiorra who was still kneeling in the center of the room.

The way he looked up at her with those beautiful large eyes made Orihime's heart melt and she couldn't help but drop to her knees in front of him. Her hands reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his face and then she cupped his cheeks before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. She felt, more than heard the whispering sigh that escaped his lips and she smiled against his lips before pressing closer and sliding her tongue in his mouth. His hands circled her waist and massaged the skin beneath as the kiss deepened.

Orihime broke away breathlessly and ran out of the room. He hadn't even noticed the loud buzz out in the hallway. A moment later, another mans voice could be heard and Ulquiorra got up to his feet to see who it was. Standing in the doorway was another one of Orihime's friends. The dark haired boy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and then visibly tensed when his eyes darted past Orihime and saw Ulquiorra standing there. The woman followed her friends gaze and giggled nervously as she said, "Uh, Ishida-kun… you remember Ulquiorra right?"

The quincy nodded his head and turned questioning eyes towards the woman. "Was he… with you… on your uh, vacation?"

Orihime nodded and said quickly, "We had such a great time! New York City is amazing and there are so many beautiful places nearby. You should go some day." She paused and then said, "Did you wanna come in?"

"Err, no thanks. I just wanted to make sure you were alright," said Uryu before turning and leaving.

Ulquiorra watched the slight man glance at the woman with a look mixed with despair, longing and pain before he turned and left. He felt himself grow rigid and a strange feeling overwhelmed his mind.

"I better go call a few people before someone else shows up at my door. Did you wanna come to the store with me later?" Orihime asked. She was walking across the room and picked up her tiny cell phone before taking a seat on the couch.

"Sure," he answered and then said, "May I take a shower while you are on the phone?"

"Yea of course!" she answered and started dialing the first number.

A little while later, Ulquiorra came out of the bathroom with fresh clean clothes on and black hair a wet mess. Orihime laughed and walked up to him then ran her fingers through his tangled mess. She kissed him before she backed away and said, "I'm gonna go jump in the shower now too. I'll be right back."

Ulquiorra sat and waited for the woman. His thoughts wandered to their earlier encounter when Ichigo had invited them over to his house. The thought of 'hanging out' with a bunch of shinigami wasn't on the top of his list of thing's he'd like to do but he knew the woman wanted to see her friends so he would go to make her happy. He remembered the way he'd felt about the orange haired boy before their fight so long ago. He'd wanted to destroy him. He'd been the one thing that had kept him from having complete control over the woman's mind. He knew Orihime'd had feelings for the boy which ran deeper than friendship and the thought still made his stomach twist into knots.

Things were different though now. Ichigo was no longer his enemy.

Orihime walked into the room, interrupting his mangled thoughts. "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded his head and they quickly exited the apartment and headed out to the shop. They came back a little bit later with hands full of plastic bags which soon were emptied out in random places throughout the kitchen.

"Ugh! I need a break after all that. It's been a busy day," said Orihime who immediately plopped on the couch and motioned for him to join her.

Orihime felt a creeping desire start to course through her veins as Ulquiorra walked steadily across the room. She loved how his broad shoulders narrowed into incredibly tantalizing hips. Her lips started to tingle with want. It had been too long since she'd kissed the smooth skin and ran her hands over the muscular ridges.

Her hand started to creep towards him after he sat down. She brushed her fingers over his side and started moving further towards the center of his stomach. Her palm pressed against his hard abs and she leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes. She started to slide her fingers down till she ran into the bottom of his shirt then slid up inside to touch the silky skin beneath. A heated sigh escaped her lips as she enjoyed every muscular ridge. She was so concentrated on her hand that she didn't notice Ulquiorra turning stunned eyes towards her and watching her face as she explored his body.

Her hand moved up his stomach to glide along his well toned pectorals. As she rounded a nipple, she rubbed her thumb against the velvety flesh and then continued around to the other side. Her hand squeezed the tight muscle beneath and another sigh escaped her parted lips. After much exploring, Orihime's hand started to travel down. She skimmed over his stomach and ran into the waist band of his jeans.

Ulquiorra watched the woman's face crinkle in frustration when she ran into his pants. His body was already aflame with lust and it took all his patience to sit there while she enjoyed his body. He felt her hand move slowly down over the zipper in his pants and his groin flooded with heat as his arousal started to grow rapidly. He heard her groan when her fingers wrapped partially around his erection through his pants and in the next instant, she was searching for the zipper and jerking the metal piece down. Her small hand slid inside the gaping hole and reached beneath his underwear to grasp him firmly.

"Orihime…" moaned Ulquiorra as her fingers wrapped around his hard member. She started to run her hand up and down his length and when she rounded the top she rubbed her thumb over the head, spreading the small drops of creamy whiteness that seeped out of his tip.

He felt so good in her hands. Her mouth wanted to join in on the fun so she leaned down and licked the tip of his shaft. His hips jerked and she could hear his breath rasp between clenched teeth. Her lips wrapped around the head and she let her tongue move over him as her hand moved smoothly over every inch beneath. Slowly her mouth started to lower, sucking in more of him until he was pressing against her throat.

Ulquiorra grabbed a handful of her thick hair and said, "I want to taste your lips."

Orihime quickly released him and moved to sit on his lap and press her mouth over his. Their tongues danced and Orihime could feel his arousal pressing against her backside. His hands moved to her shirt and started lifting it over her head then quickly worked to release her breasts from her bra. She shrugged off the clothing and pressed her large breasts against his chest, earning a moan from the man beneath her. His hands slid up and cupped her creamy mounds while his tongue slid against hers in tantric seduction.

The ring of her phone made Orihime groan in aggravation and Ulquiorra stared at her with unconcealed need. Instead of answering the phone, she leaned forward again and continued the heated kiss. When the phone rang again not a minute later, she almost growled as she lifted herself from Ulquiorra's lap and picked the annoying device up.

"Hello?" she said a bit huskily.

"Uh, Inoue... is that you?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes Ichigo," said Orihime, forgetting the formality she usually used when addressing him.

"Oh ok. It didn't sound like you for a second there. Uh… Rukia and Renji are here and we were wondering when you guys were going to come over. We were hoping you could pick up some sake on the way," said Ichigo.

Orihime quickly replied, "Sure, we'll be over in a little bit. Did you need anything else?"

Ichigo was a bit confused by her abruptness but continued, "Err, no. That's it. See ya soon." And he hung up the phone.

Orihime didn't even click the 'end call' button before she was jumping back on Ulquiorra's lap and kissing him again.

Ulquiorra couldn't contain the shudder that passed through his body knowing that she had just spoken to the man she'd had a crush on and was now kissing him again so passionately. He hoped this meant that she no longer had feelings for the shinigami.

Her hand reaching between their bodies jolted him out of his thoughts but just as she was about to touch him, the phone rang again. She quickly grabbed the phone off of the cushion beside him and said, "Hello…" in a voice that barely disguised her frustration at the interruption.

"Orihime, hi. It's Rukia. Hurry up and get over here. Ichigo and Renji are boring me to tears," said the voice on the other end.

She couldn't hold back the groan that escaped her mouth before she said, "Alright. We'll start heading over there." Then hung up the phone.

Her head slumped in defeat as she dropped the phone back down on the couch. She missed her vacation already.

"If we don't go now they'll probably break down my door. I'm sorry," she said and lifted herself up from his lap.

Ulquiorra ran a hand through his dark hair and sighed heavily. This was going to be a long night.


	17. Chapter 17

**LOL I love my reviewers… you all crack me up!**

**Happy Birthday Renji! Mmm can't wait to write a story about him.**

**Chapter 17**

The frustrated couple walked along the street, hand in hand. They stopped at the store to pick up the drinks Ichigo had requested and then continued on their way. Out of nowhere, Halibel stepped in front of them with a cool look across her face. She was still dressed in the habitual Espada garb, her light green eyes looking at them with little emotion. Orihime could only stare at her in stunned fascination.

"Ulquiorra, I need to warn you of something," said the blonde beauty with her arms crossed in front of her. "It has come to my attention that Nnoitra has been asking questions about you. Your appearance earlier was the topic of much conversation.

Nnoitra has been showing up randomly at Las Noches since the war ended and apparently when he visited last time, he asked many questions about you and where you were. I do not know what all was told to him about your whereabouts but I wanted to caution you in case he went searching for you," said Halibel, a slightly concerned look crossing her features.

'Nnoitra… it figures he'd be out searching for trouble,' thought Ulquiorra as he listened to his former colleague. "Thank you Halibel. I'll deal with him if he shows up."

"You know I do not like unnecessary trouble making which is why I warned you. Please be careful." She didn't bother saying good bye as she slid back through the garganta and disappeared.

Orihime looked up into emerald green eyes and asked, "What would Nnoitra want with you?"

Ulquiorra shrugged and said, "Who knows? He could be jealous because he always thought Aizen liked me more than him. He never was very rational about things. It's hard to know why he would take an interest me."

Orihime felt uncomfortable after the confrontation. She didn't like the fact that Ulquiorra could possibly be in danger. An arm snaked around her back as her thoughts wandered and she pressed more closely against his side. Her thoughts continued down their dark path as they neared Ichigo's house.

The door burst open before they even reached it and out walked Renji with a toothy grin as he grabbed the bottles from Orihime and said, "Hey Orihime. How's it going?"

"Hi Renji," answered Orihime cheerily. She'd always liked Renji. He was almost always in good spirits though sometimes he was a bit hot headed, but it was always in good fun.

Renji shifted the bottles to one arm and not so gently punched Ichigo on the shoulder as he walked though the doorway. "Get out of my way Ichigo," he growled as he went past.

Ichigo retaliated with a smack on the back of Renji's head and followed the red head inside with Orihime and Ulquiorra trailing behind. Rukia was on the other side of the room, grabbing glasses from the cupboard as she called out greetings.

Orihime made introductions and was happy to see that it seemed the two didn't mind Ulquiorra's presence. She could still sense Ichigo's tense demeanor but he seemed to be trying to adjust. It only made sense since he had been the only one to meet and face Ulquiorra in battle.

"Alright guys… it's time to start drinking!" bellowed Renji from across the room.

Rukia was standing next to him and elbowed him in the ribs while she said, "You're so dang loud. We haven't even started drinking yet."

Ulquiorra watched the three shinigami with mild interest. They seemed to have a very comfortable companionability and he found himself enjoying the strange banter between them. When Renji motioned for everyone to take a small glass, Ulquiorra and Orihime walked over and held their glasses up as everyone clinked glasses together. He watched everyone tilt their heads back in quick jerks and down the contents of their drinks. Even Orihime drank the contents in a single gulp. The liquid didn't smell so bad so he tilted back his glass and started pouring it in his mouth. He almost spit it out when the flavor hit his tongue but he somehow managed to get the nasty stuff down his throat; though not without a grimace covering his face.

Orihime giggled at Ulquiorra's reaction and said, "Try not to taste it next time. It's easier to just swallow it quickly."

Renji thumped him on his back and said, "Beginners have to drink twice as much as everyone else," then handed him another full cup.

He was able to swallow the nasty stuff easier this time and then Orihime grabbed his arm, leading him to the circular table where everyone was sitting. A bottle of sake sat in the center of the table with five small cups around it.

Rukia sat at the table and started shuffling the deck of cards in front of her. "Alright guys… FUBAR time!" she announces and starts spreading the cards out on the table in one big pile.

Renji leans back and says, "Why always fubar Rukia? We all get wasted so fast with this game."

"That's the point dumbass. Now pick a card," says Rukia and leans forward on to her elbows to watch him take his turn. Renji grunts in answer to her comment and leans forward as well to grab a card.

Ichigo turns to Ulquiorra and tries to explain, "You pick a card from the pile and depending on what the card is you have to either drink or tell others to drink, etc. We'll explain as we go along... Well, as long as we're coherent enough to explain."

Renji flips over a '6' and places it on the side of the table. "I have never… kissed Ichigo," Renji says and then watches as Rukia pours herself a drink and tilts it back quickly.

Orihime leans towards Ulquiorra and whispers, "When you get a 6, you have to tell everyone something you've never done and anyone who has done it, has to take a drink."

Ulquiorra nodded his head in understanding and inwardly smiles since Orihime hadn't taken a drink.

"You have to take a drink too Ichigo," said Renji.

"I don't kiss myself you idiot," answered Ichigo

"You probably practice on your hand all the time," retorted Renji with a smirk.

"Leave it to you to think of something so stupid," said Ichigo who then reached a hand forward and picked his own card.

'Jack'

"Assholes drink!" yells Rukia who then proceeds to pour out three cups full of sake.

Renji says to Ulquiorra "Asshole means us guys. Stupid rule but at least girls are bitches." He reaches forward to grab his cup and downs the drink swiftly, followed by Ichigo and a slightly confused Ulquiorra.

"Your turn midget," says Ichigo to a glaring Rukia.

She picks up a card and waves it excitedly in the air. "7! I am the thumbmaster!"

Both Ichigo and Renji moan simultaneously and Orihime giggles as she tries to explain to a completely confused Ulquiorra. "A thumbmaster will put their thumb on the table randomly and everyone else at the table has to silently put their thumb on the table until there is only one person left who hasn't noticed. That person has to take a drink. She can do this over and over again until someone else picks up a '7'. Don't worry though; usually I'm the one who doesn't notice." Right on cue, Orihime watches Ulquiorra place his thumb on the table and looks around at the rest of the people before sighing in amused frustration. "See…"

"Ok, your turn Ulquiorra," says Renji as he picks his thumb up off the table.

Ulquiorra reaches out and picks up the closest card to him then flips it over for all to see. '2'.

Renji says, "Easy one. You just take two drinks."

Ulquiorra throws the liquid back and places his thumb back on the table as soon as he sees the black haired girl press hers down. He subtly nudges Orihime and she looks up at him questioningly. He nudges her again and before she even looks at the table, Rukia is crying out, "Orihime! Take a drink!"

Orihime turns her head and sees everyone else with their thumb on the table and she pours herself another drink. She turns to Ulquiorra afterwards and mouths, 'thanks' to him even though she hadn't figured out what he had been trying to do till now.

"Ok, your turn Orihime," says a slightly giddy Rukia.

'9'

"Slime," she says with a smile and then explains to Ulquiorra. "You have to say a word that rhymes with the word I just said.

"Time," he says and then is followed by Renji who says lime and on around the table until finally they get to Ichigo after probably the fifth time around and he stumbles as he tries to think of something that hadn't been used.

"Fuck," he says and grabs the bottle to pour himself a drink.

It's Renji's turn to go again and he picks up a '4'.

"Sweet!" he says and turns to Ichigo. "Why do you smell so bad?"

Ichigo growls and turns to Orihime, "Why do you wear perfume?"

Orihime turns to Ulquiorra and tries desperately to say without laughing, "When did you take a shower?"

"Umm," says Ulquiorra and everyone points at him, shoving a drink in his direction.

"I should have explained that one but it's kind of fast paced. You have to ask a question to someone and then answer with a question of your own to someone else until someone messes up," Orihime explains sheepishly.

Ulquiorra's head starts to spin slightly and he blinks rapidly as he stares at the woman in front of him. He can't help but stare openly at her moist pink lips. He wants to kiss them so badly. Luckily he still had enough control over his brain to not do that in front of the rowdy bunch.

It's Ichigo's turn and he pulls out another '2'. He takes his drinks and then Rukia grabs for a card. 'Ace'

"Drink!" everyone says in unison except for Ulquiorra and then Rukia downs another shot.

'King' Ulquiorra flips over and everyone groans.

"Hey Ichigo, do you have any beer?" asks Renji

Ichigo nods his head and walks over to the fridge and pulls out a 6-pack. He passes a can to each person and they all snap them open. Orihime helps Ulquiorra with his and she giggles at the way he watches her perform the task.

"Ok," Ichigo starts to explain. "You start Ulquiorra and you have to chug that beer until you can't anymore and then Orihime follows… then on down the line. Orihime can't stop until you stop." He waits for Ulquiorra to pick up his can before saying with a large grin, "GO!"

Ulquiorra tips the can back and starts drinking the liquid they called beer. It's not as bad as the other stuff he thinks and continues chugging away until he feels a huge bubble form in his stomach. He watches Orihime put her can down after him and then Renji chugs and chugs with an evil look in his eyes as he looks over at Ichigo who was starting to turn green behind the can. Ichigo quickly slams the beer down immediately after Renji does and Rukia puts hers down soon after with a laugh.

"Fuck Renji. You're going to make me sick," says Ichigo as he rubs his stomach.

Renji just laughs at him and then lets out a surprised burp.

Rukia leans across the table and smacks Renji's forehead as she says, "You're so nasty."

"Hey! That hurt," says Renji, rubbing his hand over the spot she just smacked.

"Ok… Orihime's turn," says Rukia, changing the subject.

Orihime picks up an '8' and this time explains what they are supposed to do to Ulquiorra before she starts. Her eyes are a little unfocused as she looks at him and finds herself leaning quite a bit closer to him than she normally would sober.

"Zanpukto," she says to start the round.

"Zabimaru, Zangetsu… and so on."

"Aw, I made that too easy," she said and giggled. Her hand reached out impulsively and brushed against Ulquiorra's thigh.

Ulquiorra sucked in his breath at the contact and looked around the table to see if anyone noticed. No one seemed to have. Her fingers start to slide around to the inside of his thigh and she squeezes the muscles with two fingers like the woman at the spa had told her to do. The reaction she had gotten previously was duplicated and she giggled as she watched Ulquiorra jump in his seat and then stared at her with hungry eyes. She gulped and slid her hand away from his leg.

Renji picks up a card and they continue the game until no one can seem to answer a single question anymore. "I gotta take a piss," says Ichigo as he gets up from the table and walks out of the room.

"Don't break the seal!" Renji yells to a retreating Ichigo who promptly yells something back at him and continues down the hall.

Orihime unsteadily stands up and leans her weight on Ulquiorra as she tries to straighten up. She fails miserably and almost falls into his lap several times before Ulquiorra tries to stand up with her. They clutch at each other until they are standing beside the table, both way too proud of themselves for accomplishing the simple action. They walk shakily to the couch and with the last step; they both fall into the cushions, Orihime sitting slightly over top of Ulquiorra.

Rukia cheers at them for making it so far and attempts to do the same. After several attempts, she finally makes it with only stumbling once and falls next to Orihime. Renji and Ichigo seem to be the only ones whose motor skills haven't been compromised and when Ichigo joins the gang once again, the two start wrestling in the center of the room after something Renji says.

Ulquiorra's entire body felt strange. It was like suddenly he could only concentrate on one thing at a time but that one thing was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. Of course his eyes were fixed to the woman beside him. He stared at her perfect face as she smiled and laughed while watching the two men. Her neck looked so delicious and he wanted to lick the skin. His tongue licked his own lips instead.

At that moment, Orihime turned her attention to Ulquiorra and saw the tip of his tongue trail across his bottom lip. Her eyes were glued to the pink muscle. Her face subconsciously leaned forward and she found herself mere inches from him. His black hair hung down his forehead and she lifted a finger up to brush it back. Instead of removing her hand afterwards, she trailed her fingers across his smooth cheek and then ran a finger over his lips.

It was like there was no one else in the room as Ulquiorra wrapped his lips around her tiny digit and started licking the pad of her finger. His teeth nibbled on the soft skin and he heard the woman suck in a surprised breath from his actions. Her finger lingered in his mouth and slowly he licked it with tiny circles of his tongue.

"Ichigo.. Why don't you do that to me?" Rukia asked, pointing in the direction of the shocked and embarrassed couple.

Ichigo made a grossed out face and walked to the arm of the sofa where Rukia sat. He leaned down and kissed her quickly but it rapidly turned into something more as their lips started to move over the others.

"Ah come on guys. Don't make me go call Rangiku so I won't be alone," said Renji; interrupting the two couples.

Both girls giggled and shifted away from their men. They leaned together and started whispering between themselves.

"So are you and green eyes over there a couple?" asked Rukia with a girlish grin on her face.

Orihime could feel her cheeks turning red and she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. We haven't really talked about it," she answered and leaned closer to Rukia. "But I have on a special outfit for him. Wanna see?" she asks and waits for Rukia.

Rukia quickly bobs her head up and down and watches Orihime try to lift herself from the couch. Rukia helps her and somehow the two manage to stand up and walk unsteadily across the room to the first step of the stairway. They both look up and shake their heads in defeat. "Let's just go use the bathroom," Rukia suggests and they turn to head down the hallway.

Ulquiorra and Ichigo had watched the two girls as they whispered back and forth and then clutched at each other for support across the room. For some reason, they both found it incredibly sexy to watch the two women and when they rounded a corner, bringing them out of sight, both men sighed in disappointment.

"Look at you two. Can't you keep your eyes off them for more than 2 seconds?" asked Renji who watched Ichigo slide off the sofa arm and stretch out in the cozy seat.

"Shut up Renji," answered Ichigo.

The orange haired teenager turned his head towards Ulquiorra on the other end of the sofa and asked, "So when did you and Orihime start dating?" The alcohol caused him to use less formality when talking about his friend.

Ulquiorra looked at him confused and said, "We aren't."

Ichigo scratched his head and said, "But, it looks like you are dating. I've never known Orihime to do stuff with a guy the way she is with you. She must think you are together. Do you not like her like that?"

"Like her like what?" Ulquiorra asked, growing more and more interested in what the shinigami had to say.

"Like her like a girlfriend/boyfriend."

"I don't understand," he said and turned his attention to the spiky red head who sat down between them.

"Do you just wanna have sex with her or do you want to be with her all the time?" Renji asked bluntly.

"Fuck Renji. Why do you always have to be so crude?" asked Ichigo as he kicked Renji in the shin.

Renji clutched his leg and glared at Ichigo before saying, "Just because I get to the point doesn't make me crude."

Ichigo dismisses Renji's response and looks back at Ulquiorra. "Like he said."

Ulquoirra thinks about the question for a while before saying something he never would have said without alcohol clouding his judgment. "I wanna do both."

Both men start to laugh hysterically at his answer and Ulquiorra turns red from embarrassment.

In the other room, Orihime lifts up her blue dress and shows Rukia the lingerie that Becky had given her. Rukia gasps at the sight and then giggles like a school girl as she says, "So you and Ulquiorra… do it?"

Orihime laughs at the way Rukia put it and then nods her head shyly.

"Oh my God! Orihime! So you guys ARE together," cried Rukia as she threw her arms around her friend.

"Well, I don't really know. Like I said before, we haven't talked about it. But I think… I think I love him," said Orihime as she stared down at her feet and let the dress fall back down over her body.

"Oh Orihime, don't worry. Anyone can see that that man is crazy about you. Just ask him. You'll feel so much better."

Orihime listened to Rukia's advice and decided that she was going to take it. Rukia was always right about things like this. The alcohol was giving her courage she wouldn't otherwise have.

Back out in the living room, Renji and Ichigo finally ceased their laughing fit and Renji said between hiccups, "So… (hiccup) you love her."

Ulquiorra snapped his head up at his statement and looked at the tattooed man. Love? Could that be what he's been feeling? He had no clue what love even felt like but somehow, his body seemed to react to the word like it fit. He shrugged his shoulders in response and continued to ponder the idea of being in love.

A minute or so later, the two women came stumbling down the hall and Ulquiorra got up slowly to walk towards them. Orihime moved away from Rukia and the black haired girl fell into Ichigo's waiting arms with a laugh.

"Thanks Ichi," she said and let him steer her to the couch.

Ulquoirra bent his head to the woman's ear and asked, "I need to use the restroom. Can you show me where it is?"

Orihime nodded as shivers wracked her body from his lips near her ear and leaned heavily against him. They walked back across the room and when they got to the bathroom door, Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's shirt and pulled his lips to hers.

Ulquiorra groaned when he felt the woman's tongue enter his mouth and his hands started rubbing every inch of her back and rear. He pushed her through the door and pressed her against a wall to deepen the kiss. Her hands ran through his hair and she started lifting a leg around his hips to press closer to him. Ulquiorra quickly shut the door without breaking off the kiss and grabbed at the hem of her dress. He pulled the clothing over her head and sucked in a loud breath when he saw the black lace beneath. Her breasts were nearly spilling over the thin material and her stomach was covered in clingy lace. The tiny bit of underwear didn't conceal the tuft of curls beneath and when he reached a hand to her backside he felt almost all skin beneath his fingers. His heart started racing and he felt his arousal growing rapidly inside his pants.

This hadn't been exactly how Orihime had planned on letting him see the lingerie but it seemed to work just as well. She watched his eyes drift over her body and when his hands squeezed her buttocks she could feel his excitement against her leg. Her fingers started to unbutton the shirt covering Ulquiorra's chest with unsteady hands and she started to get frustrated at her clumsiness. Ulquiorra just pulled the shirt over his head and threw it to the floor before hungrily pressing his lips against the woman's. She started to wrap her leg around his hip again and he helped her along by grabbing both of her legs and lifting her against him.

Her hot center was pressed seductively against his pulsing member and she started to grind against the bulge. The alcohol made him unsteady and quickly moved further inside the room to place Orihime down on the bathroom counter. His hips now had a better angle and he started to rub his body against hers.

Orihime could feel her pulse beating frantically and she reached a hand between their bodies to unzip his straining pants. Her hand reached inside and wrapped around the rock hard erection.

"Orihime… uhhh," moaned Ulquiorra at the feeling of her hand sliding up and down his cock. Her thumb played with the tip and then she started guiding it to her entrance. Her thong guarded the slick entrance and Ulquiorra quickly pulled the fabric down her legs, nearly ripping them in the process.

An instant later, he entered her in one long, deep thrust and they both cried out at the feeling. Their bodies started to move together, Orihime meeting his thrusts with little thrusts of her own. Lips found each other and tongues started swirling inside the others mouth as with each penetration, their ecstasy grew. Ulquiorra reached a hand between their bodies and he searched for the tiny ball of nerves that he remembered had given the woman so much pleasure before. He was rewarded with a loud gasp and a quick clenching of muscles as his thumb stroked the sensitive flesh. She was so wet beneath his fingers and it drove him insane with lust knowing he'd been the cause.

"Faster Ulquiorra, please.. faster," moaned Orihime as she clutched his shoulders. Immediately his thrusts became quicker and Orihime started panting in time with his hips. Each stroke of his cock brought her closer to her orgasm and soon she was throwing her head back and crying out her orgasm.

Ulquiorra placed a hand over the woman's mouth as she screamed and pumped the last few times before his own release exploded deep inside her. He placed his forehead against hers and sucked in large gulps of air as he let his body regain some of its energy. Many minutes later, he lifted his head and looked into the woman's silver eyes. She was smiling shyly at him and then she looked quickly away.

"Umm, Ulquiorra?" she asked, still not looking at him.

"Yes Orihime," he answered. He was completely aware of the fact that he was still inside the woman though he was only semi-hard now.

"Are we umm… are we, together?" she asked and bit her lower lip.

The conversation from earlier crept back into his mind and he tried to remember what the guys had said. He remembered something about love and boyfriends and girlfriends so he answered, "Do you want me to be your boyfriend?"

Orihime turned nervous eyes to his and nodded her head.

Ulquiorra felt his chest explode with heat and he closed his eyes to enjoy the overwhelming feeling coursing through his veins. "Then I am your boyfriend."

Orihime was so relieved that she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her. She could feel his member start to twitch inside of her and then she felt him pull away.

"We have been gone for a while," he said but didn't move from her embrace.

She groaned, knowing he was right and started to straighten up where she was sitting. Ulquiorra took a step back and let the woman slide down to her feet and put a hand out to steady her as she wobbled back and forth.

Orihime giggled and clutched his hand tightly while she took the first few steps to retrieve her dress. She pulled the cloth over her head and settled it over her body before turning and watching Ulquiorra finish buttoning up his shirt and zipping up his pants. It wasn't as hard walking back to the living room, some of the effects from the alcohol wearing down.

"You guys just had sex," said Ichigo as he watched the two walk out into his living room. Rukia was sitting sideways on his lap and Renji was sitting at the table, shuffling the deck of cards with a wicked grin on his face as he watched the two freeze in the center of the room.

Orihime started scratching the back of her head and looked up to Ulquiorra for help.

"Now we're going to spend time together," he announced and started leading Orihime towards the front door. Orihime didn't understand his statement and she was even more confused by the reaction it caused in the two men in the room. They both burst out laughing and both of them could still hear them as the front door closed behind them.

"This is going to be a long walk," said Orihime as she concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other on the sidewalk.

Ulquiorra agreed with her but they helped each other until they walked into Orihime's dark apartment a while later.

**I hope you enjoyed!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A few people asked about the game they played in the previous chapter and yes, it is a real game and here are the rules below. **** Try doing it with beer though… not shots LOL**

**FUBAR**

**Shuffle a full deck of cards and scatter them in a pile in the middle of your table. One player goes at a time picking one card. They flip over their card, displaying it to everyone. Each card has a different rule as follows:  
Ace: Take one drink**

**2: Take Two**

**3: Take Three**

**4: Questions – You look at the person of your choice and ask them a question, they must answer your question with a question and it keeps going until someone screws up. Ex. What is going on? Why do you touch yourself? You don't have to question the person who questioned you either. Make sure to make eye contact.**

**5: Give five drinks**

**6: I never. This is where the person who flipped the card says something they have never done and anyone who has must drink.**

**7: Thumbmaster – This person puts their thumb down on the table whenever they want and the last one to put theirs down drinks. The thumbmaster can do this as many times as he wants until the next seven is picked.**

**8: Categories – The first person gives a topic/category and in rotation, everyone else must give a kind. Ex: Toothpaste, Crest, Colgate, Mentadent, etc.**

**9: Rhyme – Everyone must give a word that rhymes with yours. Ex: Shoe…glue…you…etc…**

**10: Social – Everyone drinks**

**Jack: Assholes drink…guys drink**

**Queen: Bitches drink….girls drink**

**King: Waterfall – This can be extremely hard, depending on your group of drinkers. It goes in order first being the one who picked the card and so on. The first person drinks as much beer as they can continuously and the 2nd person can't stop until they stop, the 3rd person can't stop until the 2nd person and so on. If you have big drinkers at the beginning, it is really difficult.**

**Chapter 18**

Orihime looked around her apartment and felt her stomach flutter with nerves. 'What the heck was her problem?' she wondered as she stepped farther inside. There was something exciting yet extremely nerve wrecking about having Ulquiorra there, alone in her apartment, knowing he was now officially her 'boyfriend.' She knew she was being silly but the feeling was still there nonetheless. Her body was acutely aware of his presence. It seemed like every fiber of her being was honed in on his whereabouts. The hairs on her neck stood up and her skin started to tingle all over her back. He was right behind her, breathing lightly against her neck but not yet touching her. She wanted to lean back against him but the seductive way he hovered near her made her wait breathlessly with anticipation.

A warm hand wrapped around her waist and then the other curled around to her stomach. Ulquiorra presses himself flush against her back, pressing into her curves. Both of his hands were now on her stomach where they started to caress her through the fabric of her dress. Soft lips pressed against the skin between her neck and shoulder and she felt her whole body shudder in response. How was it that his lips could create lightning streaks through her body? One of his hands moved up and his fingers started to gently play with the underside of her breast. The fingers moved north until the palm of his hand was completely cupping her large breast. Orihime instinctively arched into his touch and laid her head back against his chest. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she concentrated on the feelings he was creating. His tongue moved to the soft spot behind her ear and licked the area with soft strokes and then lightly nibbled the lobe.

The hands on her body started to move and when Ulquiorra started to lift her dress over her head, she stretched her arms up to aid his progress and then watched as the blue material went floating to the ground. His lips returned to her neck and his tongue began licking her heated flesh while his hands once again began to explore her curves.

"What is this thing?" he asked, indicating the black lacy top she was wearing.

Ulquiorra was distracted by the nearly exposed skin of the woman's rear and his fingers followed his thoughts to smooth over the rounded perfection. His groin twitched in response and the overwhelming urge to press himself against her, drove his hips forward and his teeth gently nipped at her shoulder, surprising even himself with the gesture.

"Mmm… It's umm, its called lingerie," said Orihime who reached a hand out behind her and started to steer them towards her bedroom. Once inside, she looked at her bed in the corner and felt the flutter once again in her stomach. 'She was going to have sex with Ulquiorra on her own bed.' The thought made her heart begin to race and she wanted desperately to see his naked body lying over her sheets; her boyfriend's body on her sheets. 'How wonderful did that sound?' she thought. It was like a dream to her. This man who had always so fascinated her and who could make her melt with yearning… also wanted her.

With quick fingers, she started pulling out the buttons on his shirt and then slid it off his shoulders. She didn't hesitate before pulling at his pants and taking them off as well. His underwear went down with his pants and he stood, gloriously naked in front of her admiring gaze. His pale skin made her want to kiss every inch of him till he was completely flushed and sweating.

"Can you uh… lie down? Please?" she asked and then bit her lower lip while she waited for his response.

Ulquiorra backed up the few steps till the back of his legs hit the mattress. He sat down on the edge and looked up at the blushing woman.

"Lay back please," she asked and started walking towards him.

He did as she requested and felt his stomach start to twist into knots. Her seductive gaze was making his whole body quake with uncontrollable desire and he secretly enjoyed the way she shyly demanded actions from him. He watched her walk to the side of the bed and devour him with her eyes; probing every inch of his skin with their steely gaze. She reached a hand out and circled his hardening nipple with the tip of her finger. Her body leaned over his to do the same to the other side and then straightened back up to look at a different area. His hard abs moved up and down in a quickening rhythm and she pressed her hand there next, letting her fingers travel over every dip and rise. Her fingers brushed against the tip of his erection and Ulquiorra released a long breath when she circled him. His entire body was perfectly sculpted and Orihime thought she could stand there forever looking at him except for this incredible longing that was pulsing inside of her.

Her fingers moved to her back and started working the hooks of her top. After what seemed way too long, the lacy fabric parted and the top slid to the floor. She then grasped the strings over her hips and pulled the underwear down her legs and stepped out of them. Ulquiorra's eyes were hungrily memorizing every beautiful inch of her. When she placed a knee on the side of the bed and then swung her other leg over his hips, he reached his hands up and brought her lips down to his for a searing kiss. Throaty moans mingled as they kissed and the lure of the others naked body made them both press tightly against one another. Flesh rubbed against flesh; hips grinded erotically. He felt her start to lift up but he didn't want to end the contact of their lips so he followed her and soon they were both sitting in the center of the bed with arms wrapped tightly around each other. Her center rested seductively against his twitching arousal. With a slight steering of his hand, he slid between her wet folds and entered her slowly. She savored every thick inch of him as he worked his way deep inside her.

Sitting this way, they could both control the movements and Orihime loved being able to tease him when he slid almost completely out of her and then tried to thrust back inside. The instant he was about to press inside her, she lifted her hips and smiled down at him devilishly. She placed two fingers over his lips and curled them inside his mouth. He started to suck on the tiny fingers and suddenly, Orihime pressed down savagely on his erection. They both cried out in response to her movement and their hips started bucking and swaying. Her wet fingers slid out of his mouth and she replaced them with her tongue as she bobbed up and down his hard length.

Ulquiorra decided that two could play her game so as she was about to slide down his cock again, he grabbed her hips and slipped out of her warmth. Her eyes opened wide from the loss of his hard member and she looked at him with unconcealed frustration. His hand reached between them and grasped his arousal firmly, then started moving the tip slowly up and down her slit. He lingered over her clit and rubbed the area with his tip while he watched her chest heave rapidly with her breath. He loved the way her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he circled her clit with gentle strokes.

"Ohhhh… Ulquiorra. That feels so…" she sucked in a quick breath when he circled her clit again, "…so good."

His name on her lips made his blood boil and he couldn't help but thrust himself deeply inside her. Her neck arched back and she dug her nails into his shoulders as she nearly screamed at the feeling of him poking her so deeply. He wasn't done teasing her though. His dick slid back out of her warm cavern and he grasped himself once again. He wanted to hear her tiny gasps and moans. He placed the head of his member at her opening, probing the entrance with shallow strokes which did nothing to quench her lust. With his fingers, he started to flick the sensitive ball of nerves and the woman above him started to whimper in desperation. He wanted to hear her cry out but he waited, drawing out her anticipation as he teased her opening with only an inch of his throbbing cock. He began to increase the rhythm of his fingers against her dripping wet clit and her hands started to clutch his shoulders so tightly he knew he would have marks there in the morning. His thighs shook with the effort of keeping himself from burying deeply inside the wet sheath.

"Ulquiorra please…" Orihime whimpered breathlessly.

"Please what?" Ulquiorra asked in a seductive whisper against her ear.

"Please…" she cries out when his fingers gently pinch her clit. "I want you so badly!"

Her voice was like music to his ears. He rolls the nub between his fingers again, letting the sweet juices stream down his fingers. He lifts his hand up and licks the slick digit slowly with his tongue. "Mmm… you taste amazing," he says and starts to slide his finger into his mouth.

Orihime watches his mouth and feels her whole body shake with lust. He was so damn sexy. When he slid his finger out of his mouth and moved it to her own, she takes it in and starts sucking. She does to his finger what she longs to do with his cock and Ulquiorra's chest starts to heave with desire. Her tongue pokes out and gently licks the tip of his finger and she says, "I can taste myself on you." An instant later, Ulquiorra lifts her up and practically throws her on to her back. His shoulders nudge her legs apart and a moment later, his hot tongue is licking her clit. His lips wrap around the nub, gently sucking and pulling. His finger finds her entrance and he slides inside of her, groaning at the feel of her tight walls. He holds her hips down with his other hand as she starts to buck wildly beneath him. Her thighs start to shake and he gently bites down on her clit and quickly sucks the sensitive nerves. He slides his fingers out of her and grabs her hips with both hands, lifting her up to meet his demanding tongue as it flicks over her. Her whole body starts to shudder and he quickly moves over her body and pushes himself inside with a quick, hard thrust.

She cries out and screams her release but instead of the normal calming spiral downward after the climax, her muscles start to clench maddeningly around him. She needs his mouth. She needs to taste his tongue. With more strength than she knew she had, she pushes him over to the side and straddles his hips, pushing down till he was once again seated deeply within her. Her hands reach out and pull his face up to hers for a demanding kiss that leaves both of their lips bruised and swollen.

He starts moving inside her and she matches his movements, creating a building friction between them that brings them each closer and closer to fulfillment. With every thrust, Orihime cries out her pleasure. Their bodies slide together erotically and soon they both feel the building ecstasy growing inside.

"Oh my… Orihime. You're so tight. I can't…" Ulquiorra groans as she grabs a fist full of his hair.

Orihime's muscles clench as the incredible spasms overtake her body and not a moment later, Ulquiorra explodes deep inside of her.

With his release, Ulquiorra felt like his whole body lost every bit of energy and he collapsed back on the bed with the woman falling over top of him. They lay there, completely spent and neither could find the strength to move as sleep soon found both of them.

The following morning, Orihime woke up with her face pressed against something much harder than her pillow. She opens her eyes and looks down at the porcelain skin beneath her. A smile crept over her face and she lifts her eyes to look at Ulquiorra. He was already awake and staring at her. His hands wraps around her back and he closes his eyes as he relishes the feel of her against him. Orihime snuggles closer and presses light kisses to his chest and neck.

Orihime's rumbling stomach interrupts the sweet moment and she giggles as she lifts herself off of him and quickly grabs a t-shirt to throw over her head from a nearby drawer.

"Let's go make breakfast," she says and reaches a hand out to persuade him to get up.

With a grunt, Ulquiorra sat up from the bed and grabs his pants from the night before; pulling them up and over his hips without bothering with underwear. He follows her out to the kitchen and takes a seat by the counter as the woman starts throwing things together for their breakfast.

"So what do you want to do today?" she asks while chopping up some sort of vegetable.

Ulquiorra shrugged and said, "Whatever you want to do."

"Well, I kind of feel bad for leaving last night without really saying good bye so maybe we can stop over there sometime. Then, we could pop over to Urahara's and see if maybe he could explain what happened to you. That man knows everything. He's so deceivingly clever."

"Is this another shinigami?" he asks, trying not to sound aggravated. It was going to take a while for him to get used to being around so many of his old enemies.

"Well yea, kinda. He used to be a captain but he isn't anymore. He still helps out though," said Orihime, scooping their breakfast into two bowls and placing one in front of him. He ate a mouthful and paused while he let the strange combination of flavors mingle with his taste buds. When he saw her concerned face, he quickly swallows the mouthful and scoops up another bite. Her cooking was quite a bit different than what he'd been eating the past week and a half but it wasn't bad. It just took time to get used to.

They finished their breakfast and changed into fresh clothes before heading out to Ichigo's house. Orihime knocked when they got to the front door and instead of someone letting them in, they hear someone holler… "Come in!" in a raspy voice.

Orihime slid the door open and laughed at the scene in front of her. Renji was sprawled out on a recliner and Ichigo and Rukia were lying in what must be an extremely uncomfortable position on the couch. Rukia lifted her head from Ichigo's chest and gave them a half smile before collapsing back on top of him.

With a groan, Ichigo asked, "How the heck are you guys up so early?"

Orihime giggled and walked further inside before saying, "It's not early. It's almost noon. How much more did you guys drink after we left?"

Renji growled from his spot in the room and said, "Too much."

Orihime turned to look at Ulquiorra and then moved towards the table where several empty bottles and cans littered the wooden surface. She started clearing everything off and Ulquiorra helped her. When everything was in order, they turned back to the lazy group and saw that Rukia was slowly lifting herself up from Ichigo. She sat on the end of the couch and rubbed her fingers over her temples with a wince on her face.

"Oi, Ichigo. Get up," she said and smacked his leg.

Ichigo groaned and buried his face in the pillow.

"Umm… well. Ulquiorra and I are going to head over to Urahara's. We'll see you later," said Orihime.

"Wait… Orihime. I need to go over there too. He owes me a chappy soul candy dispenser. Do you mind waiting a few minutes while I get ready?" asked Rukia.

Orihime smiled and said, "Sure."

Ichigo grudgingly got up from the couch when Rukia started to pull his arm and the two walked up the stairs and disappeared. Orihime and Ulquiorra took a seat on the now empty sofa and waited for the couple to come back down.

A few minutes later, the two came flying down the stairs, Rukia laughing wildly and Ichigo chasing her with a wicked grin. 'They must have had some fun upstairs,' thought Orihime as she watched the couple race around the room. When Ichigo finally caught Rukia, he lifted to small girl up in the air with arms wrapped around her waist and kissed her firmly on the lips.

Orihime smiled at the happy couple and found herself leaning closer to Ulquiorra who was watching the scene with an amused expression.

"Hey Renji," said Ichigo a few moments later. "Get up. We're leaving."

"Why the hell do I have to go?" growled Renji without opening his eyes.

"Because if I had to get up, so do you. Now come on!" Ichigo snuck up behind Renji and flicked both of his ears.

The red head jumped in his seat and turned menacing eyes towards Ichigo. "You're lucky my head hurts too much at the moment to pummel you."

Renji joined the group forming at the front door and they all left the house for Urahara's small shop. They arrived a few minutes later and Urahara greeted them heartily as they walked inside.

"Well if it isn't my favorite bunch of troublemakers," he said and then turned his attention to Ulquiorra who was standing beside Orihime. "And an Espada if my memory serves me. But, you don't look the same."

"That's kind of why we're here," said Orihime. "We were wondering if maybe you could explain what happened to him."

"Here, come have some tea with me and tell me what happened," said Urahara as he led the group into an adjoining room.

They all took a seat around the low table and listened to Ulquiorra explain in moderate detail, what had happened to him after he woke up from his 17 month slumber. He even explained how at certain times, he could feel what he thinks is the same power within him that he used to possess as an Arrancar. When he was finished with the tale, Urahara rubbed his hand over the stubble on his jaw and then asked Ichigo, "Do you have your substitute soul reaper badge with you?"

Ichigo nodded and handed the badge over to him. Ulquiorra watched the man take the pentagon and then press it solidly against his chest. Suddenly, he felt his whole body being ripped apart and a soft thud accompanied the feeling. He looked behind him towards the noise and jumped up in fright. His own body lay beneath him with eyes closed; looking like death had claimed him. 'What the hell had just happened?'

"Oh my God, Ulquiorra!" cried Orihime from the floor. He turned to look at her and saw her wide eyes staring at him in amazement. Her eyes traveled the length of his body and he followed her gaze to see himself dressed in a familiar black robe.

"You're a… you're a soul reaper," said an equally surprised Ichigo.

"Just as I suspected," said Urahara with a grin. "You're soul remains the same but whatever bond you and Orihime formed made your regeneration technique change into a body altering skill. You are as human as Ichigo but also like him, your soul will always remain a powerful force. Let's just hope you can control your reiatsu better than him."

Ichigo grunted at the comment and Ulquiorra just stood there, bemused by the new revelation. 'He was like Ichigo? He was a shinigami now?' The idea made him feel sick but when he looked over at Orihime's now glowing face, the feeling disappeared and he sat back down beside her, trying to ignore his lifeless body beneath.

Something hard lay across his back and he turned his head to see what it could be. The hilt of Murcielago stuck up behind his shoulder. A wave of longing traveled through him and he reached a hand up to caress the leather bound hilt. He never thought he'd be touching his sword again.

"Do you have my chappy Urahara-san?" asked Rukia, breaking the silence.

"Ah yes. We got the shipment just the other day," he said and stood up. Everyone followed him except Ulquiorra who stood looking at his body.

"Hey Ichigo," he said quietly, embarrassed to be asking something so strange. "How do I get back into my body?"

Ichigo grinned and answered, "Just lay back down over it."

Ulquiorra tried out what he said and sure enough, his soul connected back to his body. He followed the group into the other room and moved to Orihime's side. The man wearing the striped hat hands some strange looking object to Rukia and the woman squeals with delight.

"Urahara, do you mind if we use your basement? I wanna see what Ulquiorra can do," asked Ichigo.

"Sure," answered Urahara.

Orihime bounced excitedly next to Ulquiorra and he looked at her nervously. He had no idea what he could do. The power he'd felt had been familiar but he knew there were many differences. The thought of holding Murcielago though again, pushed him to follow the orange haired boy down the steep staircase and into the gigantic room. He was grateful that only Orihime and Ichigo had come down while the rest had stayed upstairs.

A moment later, Ichigo was pressing the badge against Ulquiorra's chest and his body went tumbling to the floor. A little warning would have been nice. Ichigo did the same to himself and then they stood, Ichigo waiting for Ulquiorra to make a move.

Ulquiorra reached a hand back and pulled his sword from the unfamiliar sheath, accustomed to it resting on his hip. As soon as it was in his hands though, everything fell into place. It felt as natural as breathing, holding the heavy weight in his hand. Without thinking, he released his spiritual energy in a wave of strength. He heard Orihime quickly create a shield in front of herself as the pressure swept around the area.

An instant later, Ulquiorra was standing in front of Orihime saying, "Are you alright? That was careless of me. I'm sorry." The woman just smiled and waved casually, indicating that she was fine.

"What about me?" a loud raspy voice boomed from where Ichigo was standing. "You nearly knocked me back into those boulders over there," and he pointed at the mountain of rocks behind him.

He wasn't about to say he was sorry to the shinigami so instead he shrugged his shoulders and stood up rigidly straight, gripping his sword firmly in his hand. Ichigo smirked and grabbed his own sword, releasing waves of spiritual energy and then an instant later their swords were clashing. The power was familiar as they exchanged blow after blow.

It was strange sparring with him. He had been the last person he'd touched swords with and now he was the first in this strange new form. His hand reached out to blast his cero but realized that this ability no longer existed in this body. Ichigo took advantage of his momentary lapse and struck quickly; pushing Ulquiorra back into the pile of rock Ichigo had been motioning towards earlier. He was instantly on guard and waiting for the next attack before he realized that Ichigo wasn't pursuing him. The boy stood in front of him, grinning with his sword resting on his shoulder and then extended his hand to help him up. He had to remind himself that they weren't really fighting.

"I hate to see what your bankai is gonna be like. Luckily I won't be on the receiving end of it anytime soon," said Ichigo while they walked beside each other back to Orihime.

Ulquiorra's brow lifted up curiously as he listened to Ichigo's statement. Bankai? Would he really have something like that?

When they reached the girl, Orihime took down her shield and threw her arms around Ulquiorra's neck. "That was incredible! I can't believe you're a soul reaper now," said Orihime as she slightly loosened her grip around his neck and placed her lips against his for a quick kiss.

Ichigo made a grossed out face and said, "I'll be upstairs."

"We're coming too!" said Orihime. They walked back up the stairs and Rukia and Renji were waiting up top for them. They left the shop and split up when Ulquiorra and Orihime had to go a different direction to get back to her place.

"Hey, what are you guys doing tonight?" asked Rukia before they parted.

"Umm, we didn't really have any plans," answered Orihime.

"Ichigo promised to take me to this movie theatre thing tonight. You guys should come."

Orihime smiled widely and said, "That sounds great! Let me know what time you guys are going."

Orihime and Ulquiorra headed home and Ulquiorra began to think about her reaction to his being a soul reaper now. It unsettled him how happy she had seemed. Did it make her happy that he was now more like her former crush? He still wasn't sure how he felt about all of it. A part of him was still disgusted with the idea of being what used to be his enemy but another part was relieved that he was still capable of fighting.

As if Orihime knew what he was thinking, she asked hesitantly, "Are you happy, knowing what you know now?"

He looks down at her and sighs. What should he tell her? Should he tell her about the strange conflicting emotions running through his brain? Should he tell her that it bothers him that she is so happy about it? He shakes his head at the last question and says, "I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about it all."

Orihime nods and silently walks a few more steps before she says, "As strange as it is to see you like that, it sorta relieves me. I don't care what WAY you have your powers but as long as you have them then I know you will be able to protect yourself if… " she hesitates before she continues, "if Nnoitra or someone else shows up." Her hands are nervously wringing in front of her as she says those words and Ulquiorra could feel all his doubts wash away. She only wanted to protect him. The thought made his entire body swell with emotion. She cared about him. The words from the two inebriated men from the previous evening break through his thoughts. Love. Was that this strange feeling in his body? The woman had explained it to him so many times and now the words she had said, suddenly made sense to him. He wanted to be a part of her heart.

His hand reached out to grasp Orihime's, needing to feel her. He clenches around her and closes his eyes briefly to absorb the feeling. He was in love. The thought doesn't scare him as much as he'd thought it would.

They reach her place and walk inside. Orihime starts making them a late lunch/ early dinner and Ulquiorra attempts to fold the pile of clean laundry that the woman pulled out. His eyes follow her while she busies herself in the kitchen. He enjoys watching her do simple things; the way she smiles randomly from thoughts running through her head. How she hums silly tunes to no music and then laughs at herself when she misses a note. When she starts chopping away at something, her hair keeps falling in her face so she pulls the mass back into a loose ponytail. He decides he likes her like this. Her graceful neck is shown to advantage and he longs to press kisses to the soft skin.

Orihime is in good spirits as they eat and then put the clothes away that he had folded. The phone rings a little bit later and its Rukia telling them what time the movie was and they decide on a time to meet. When Orihime hangs up the phone, she glances at the clock and sees that they don't have much time so they quickly change and head out the door.

Standing in front of the theatre was Ichigo and Rukia. Orihime could tell they were arguing about something and Rukia was pointing an angry finger at Ichigo as they approached.

"You're impossible," says Rukia before turning to Orihime and Ulquiorra. The statement is followed by an unhappy groan from Ichigo who was standing with his hands buried in his pockets.

"So what are we seeing? And where's Renji?' asks Orihime, attempting to break the tense silence.

Rukia immediately cheers up and says, "Invaders from Planet X! Renji had to go back to soul society. Nii-sama needed him to run some training exercises for the new recruits."

Orihime jumps up and down excitedly and exclaims, "I heard that was great! I've wanted to see it but I didn't think anyone would wanna go."

Ichigo shakes his head exasperatedly as he watches the two girls go giggling inside. Ulquiorra follows beside Ichigo and is drawn into a conversation about how stupid this movie was going to be. "Those women have the weirdest taste." Ulquiorra found himself agreeing.

After buying a huge tub of popcorn, several boxes of candy and a large soda, Orihime settles down in a seat next to Rukia with Ulquiorra on her right and Ichigo on Rukia's left. The previews start and the theatre goes quiet. Several times during the movie, Orihime grabs on to Ulquiorra's arm reflexively when something jumps out or a particularly bloody scene occurs. Half way through, Orihime starts squirming in her seat and eventually crawls over Ulquiorra saying she had to go to the ladies room. He watches her hurry out of the dark room and then moves his attention back to the large screen in front of him where an alien was busy ripping out someone's stomach.

Out in the lobby, Orihime walks quickly to the restroom and bursts through the door. 'She shouldn't have drunk so much soda,' she thinks to herself as she steps out of the stall and hurriedly washes her hands so she could get back to the movie. She hates missing a single minute of movies.

Suddenly, a hand grabs her shoulder as she's about to push through the door leading out to the lobby then an eerily familiar voice whispers behind her.

"I finally found you alone pet-sama," says the voice, turning her around to face him.

"Nnoitra…" she breathes and steps back.

"I'm flattered you remember me. But it seems you remember someone else a bit better. How is it that a girl like you could end up with someone like him? We'll have so much more fun together… I promise," Nnoitra says and takes a step closer to her, practically touching her face with his repellant breath.

Orihime freezes and before she can say the words to summon her fairies, he snakes his arm around her and quickly jumps into the garganta he creates.

In the dark theatre, Ulquiorra starts to get worried about the woman. She'd been gone for several minutes now and he didn't like not having her next to him. He waits another few minutes and when she still hasn't returned, he gets up from his seat and goes into the lobby. She's not there. He quickly goes back in to the theatre and reluctantly asks Rukia if she would go check on Orihime. She gets up and Ulquiorra follows the small girl back out to the lobby. He waits for her when she goes inside the ladies room and several seconds later, Rukia comes out shaking her head. She's not there.

A rising panic starts to form inside him. Where could she be? Ichigo joins the group at that moment and asks, "What's going on?"

"We can't find Orihime," explains Rukia, a worried frown creasing her brow.

Ulquiorra walks closer to the doorway that Rukia just walked out from and instantly tenses. He knows that reiatsu. His eyes open wide and his whole body freezes.

"Ulquiorra… what is it?" asks Ichigo.

After several moments, Ulquiorra finally manages to utter a single word, "Nnoitra."


	19. Chapter 19

**Over 100 reviews WOO! Thanks everyone!**

**In case anyone is curious… I posted a Rukia/Renji One-shot yesterday called 'Rukia Gives Renji a Haircut'. If you take a look, tell me what you think. Oh and yes, it's rated M… I'm hopeless.**

**Chapter 19**

"Let go of me!" Orihime cries, struggling within Nnoitra's grasp.

They walked along the white sand of Hueco Mundo, Orihime stumbling the whole way as she tried to rip his hands off of her. It was no use though, his grip was too tight and her struggling only seemed to amuse him.

They approached a pile of large rocks and Nnoitra threw her against one of them and roughly rolls her on to her front and immediately starts wrapping a rope around her wrists, tugging until the threads dug painfully into her skin. She bites her lip to keep the agonized cry from escaping and grunts when Nnoita lifts her up and roughly pushes her forward again to walk in front of him.

"Don't worry Pet-sama, we'll be there soon but by all means, keep struggling. I'll take any excuse I can to tie you up," said Nnoita with a wicked grin.

Orihime tried as best she could to walk calmly in front of him. Her knees trembled. She could see something dark, far in the distance but she couldn't make out what it was.

"Why Ulquiorra, Pet-sama? Did you like being his prisoner? Did it turn you on so much that you had to search him out as soon as he was alive again? I promise you, I can torture you much better than he did," the snake like voice said from close behind.

She refused to answer him, sewing her lips tightly together as she continued forward.

"The silent type eh… well that's fine with me but I can assure you, you won't be silent when my hands are on you."

Orihime tried to keep the panic from rising up her throat. She gulped and straightened her shoulders. The dark spot in front of her was slowly getting larger and soon she was able to see that it was an opening to a cave.

A few minutes later, they came upon the entrance and with a harsh push, Nnoitra threw her tumbling inside. She rolled across the hard stone floor, feeling bruises starting to form in several places over her body before she rolled to a stop beside the caves wall. An instant later, his hands reached down and stole the blue hair clips from her and quickly deposited them into a nearby box.

"Don't want your lil fairies getting in the way now do we Pet-sama," said Nnoita as he slowly approached her again. With a hand, he snagged the front of her shirt and lifted her straight in the air till her feet were dangling a few inches off the ground. His face was inches away and his leering smile stared back at her.

"Ulquiorra will come for me," she said simply, defiance straightening her back as she hung there.

With a quick laugh, Nnoitra threw her backwards, pushing her farther inside the deep cave. "I'm not stupid. I know he doesn't have his powers anymore and your other friend… what was his name? Oh yes, Kurosaki-kun," he imitated her voice on her friends name and continued, "well, he won't get here for quite some time I imagine; at least not before I have my fun with you. "

Orihime looked around the space, desperate to find anything that would help her as the tall, lanky man approached her. She moved her arms in hopes of releasing her arms from their bindings but it was useless. The tip of his left foot came to a stop mere inches in front of her face and he kicked her over to her back with his right.

"I need to take care of a few things before we begin our little, playtime." He reached down and ripped the ropes from her wrists.

Orihime rubbed the sore skin and quickly sat up and slid backwards till she came upon the wall behind her. She looked at the box on the other side of the room longingly and Nnoitra followed her gaze.

With a smile he said, "I left your prison uniform on the table," and he pointed towards a wooden table in the far back corner. "If you're not wearing that by the time I get back, I will force you to put it on in front of my gaze and you will be punished for your defiance. I won't be gone long."

Orihime's whole body started to tremble in anger, not fear as the tall man walked across the room and grabbed the box containing her hair clips. He shoved the box under his arm and exited the cave, rolling a large boulder across the entrance and leaving barely a sliver of an opening where light peaked inside.

Her hands fisted at her sides over the stone floor and she closed her eyes tightly as waves of anger rolled through her.

Back in Karakura…

Ulquiorra, Ichigo and Rukia all race to Urahara's shop. They are panting as they burst through the front door and thankfully, Urahara is there.

"Orihime has been… " Ichigo gasps for breathe, "taken back (pant pant) to Hueco Mundo. We need to go back."

Urahara's eyes widen in shock, only slightly concealed by the shadow from his hat. "Of course," answers Urahara who doesn't waste a second as he quickly turns and starts heading towards his basement.

The three follow closely behind and Ulquiorra's body is thrumming with anger as they make their way down the narrow stairway. His thoughts are frantic with worry and flashes of the woman keep slipping across his vision. Her smile, her warmth, her laughter, he can't bare the thought of losing her. If she's hurt in any way… he shakes his head as murderous thoughts race through his brain.

Ichigo presses his badge against each of them, the splitting of his body from his soul still leaving him a little uncomfortable. A large garganta spreads open in front of him and he doesn't wait for any instructions as he races through, Ichigo on his heals with Rukia trailing closely behind. Ulquiorra's reiatsu practically created a highway as they ran through the void and when they finally stepped into the white sand, the group stopped and looked around.

"Where do we go?" asks Ichigo as he looks over at Ulquiorra who is standing perfectly still, trying to sense any familiar traces of reiatsu.

"That way," he points and the small group sprints across the desert sand.

XxXxXxX

Orihime holds up the white dress she had worn while a captive of Aizen. She shudders uncontrollably and her shaky hands start to work on pealing off her clothes. She steps into the disgustingly familiar fabric and starts putting on each piece of the uniform.

True to his word, not a moment after Orihime had shrugged into the last bit of clothing, Nnoitra was moving the barrier from the entrance and walking through; pausing to seal the way again. "You follow instructions well Pet-sama. I am pleased."

Orihime watched the quinto espada steadily approach and reach behind his back to produce several ropes and chains. She gasped when she saw the objects and backed up as far as she could into the dimly lit cave. Her back bumped against the rock wall and her knees started to tremble.

"Did you cower from Ulquiorra the way you are from me or did that suck-up go soft on you?" questioned Nnoitra as he stretched a long chain between his hands. "You're right where I want you," he said and snatched her hands, clamping shackles around her wrists and then attaching them to the chain. He threads the chain through a hook on the ceiling and then does the same on the other side.

Orihime hangs there, arms spread out like an eagle in flight. Nnoitra grasps her chin, none to gently, in his hand and tilts her face up towards his. "I've wanted to get my hands on you for quite some time," he says and then leans down to lick her cheek with his numbered tongue.

Orihime cries out in disgust and fear as his snake like tongue licks up her face. Her hands grasp the chains and she pulls with all her might but it's no use. They won't budge. She tries to lash out with her legs but only ends up kicking air as he easily avoids her and then he smacks her across the cheek he'd just licked. She cries out from the pain and can feel her face stinging from the blow. A metallic taste hits her tongue and she knows she's bleeding in her mouth.

Nnoitra's hand grasps her chin again and forces her face up to his. "I warned you I wouldn't be as lenient as your lover." His other hand reaches up and grasps the fabric around her neck. With one clean swipe, he rips the fabric all the way down to her navel, revealing her breasts clad in only a blue lacy bra. She screams and starts pulling on the chains again, tears of frustration streaming down her face.

"Ulquiorra! Please! Save me!" she cries out and then is roughly lifted up in the air by two hands wrapped around her neck.

"Your screams excite me," Nnoitra says and squeezes her neck with one hand and then releases her with the other. The free hand travels down her neck and chest till his fingers hook around the fabric between the two bra cups.

Orihime closes her eyes tightly and waits for him to rip the material. His repulsive breath fans over her face as he leans closer to her and then suddenly, a loud shatter echoes across the space and light floods the cave. A cloud of dust blocks out any clear view of the cause of the destruction and as the dust slowly settles, a lean silhouette appears.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime cries out in relief. She'd never seen anything better in her entire life. The sight of him was like a glimpse into heaven. New tears started to form in her eyes but this time they were not tears of fear.

"Get away from the woman," the deep voice commanded as he lifted his sword up menacingly towards Nnoitra. Orihime could see two other figures moving up behind Ulquiorra and another wave of relief flooded her. On one side was the outline of Ichigo and on the other was Rukia's small frame.

"Did you borrow clothes from your new shinigami friends?" Nnoitra asked, turning his attention to the intruding group.

Ulquiorra ignored his question and simply said, "This is your last warning. Remove yourself from the woman."

Nnoitra laughed evilly and suddenly he darted behind Orihime and unsheathed his sword but before he's able to lift the steal to her neck, Ulquiorra was there, holding the tip of his sword against Nnoitra's throat. "Drop it," Ulquiorra said in a tone that could turn water into ice.

A cackling laughter filled the cave and Nnoitra dropped his sword to the ground. Rukia was by Orihime's side an instant later, working on the shackles around her wrists. The metal wouldn't easily come undone so she used her kido spells and soon her wrists were free. Orihime backed away from Nnoitra and watched breathlessly as Ulquiorra held the lanky espada at bay.

"So you're a shinigami now. How repulsive…" said Nnoitra as he stood there with his neck stretched away from the tip of Ulquiorra's sword. "The woman has made you soft I see. Normally you would have just killed me on the spot."

Ulquoirra's jaw clenched in anger and his sword started to dig into Nnoitra's flesh, creating a dribble of blood to flow down his neck. All the pent up anger and frustration he'd felt since Orihime had been taken from him came crashing through his body. This sick, twisted man had touched her. This man had almost killed the woman he loved. His blood started to boil in his veins and the muscles in his arms tensed up. A sea of red flooded his vision.

Orihime's small hand grabbed his forearm and her sweet voice penetrated his violent thoughts. "It's ok Ulquiorra. I'm safe now."

His body melted at her words and with a barely contained sob, he threw his arms around the woman and clutched her tightly to his chest. He buried his face in her neck and felt her arms wrap tightly around his shoulders. "I'm so sorry Orihime." He struggled to hold back the emotion that flowed through him. She was safe. His arms squeezed tighter and he kissed her flowery scented hair. He didn't want to ever let her go.

When Nnoitra moved slightly, two swords quickly replaced Ulquiorra's against his neck and Ichigo said, "I wouldn't move a muscle if I were you. Rukia is a sucker for love stories and if you ruin this moment, I would hate to see what she would do to you."

Orihime and Ulquiorra didn't release their grips around the other but they both turned their heads when Ichigo started speaking. Ulquiorra was relieved to have the two shinigami with him. He turned his face back to the woman and frowned when he looked closely at her face. A large purple bruise was forming on the side of her face and when he looked down he could see more bruises and several cuts along her shoulders and arms. A ring of purple was already deepening in color around her neck. He tried to step back to assess the rest of the damage but Orihime's fingers clutched his robes and held him against her.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Please don't move. I'm barely covered."

Another wave of anger rolls through Ulquiorra as he remembered the state of undress the woman had been in upon entering the cave.

"Rukia, could you um… grab my shirt for me from the table?" Orihime asked and watched as Rukia lowered her sword and strode across the room. She handed over the pink cotton shirt and Orihime quickly pulled it over her head. "Thanks Rukia."

The four of them stare at the tall Espada, Ichigo's sword still pointing threateningly at his neck. "Guys, let's leave please," Orihime says and threads her fingers through Ulquiorra's. They start to back out, none of them willing to take their eyes off the grinning man.

When they finally make it to the mouth of the cave, they turn and start walking away. Several minutes pass and Orihime is tucked close to Ulquiorra's side and then she remembers… her hair clips. She tugs on Ulquiorra's sleeve and looks up at him pleadingly. "He has my hair pins."

The group turns back and notices that Nnoitra was only a little ways behind them, holding a small box in his hand. "Forget something?" he queries in a loud shout.

"Hand it over Nnoitra," demands Ulquiorra who is slowly approaching the quinto Espada.

Nnoitra hides the box behind his back and says, "You don't think I give up that easily do you?"

Ulquiorra closes his eyes momentarily and sighs. "So be it then," he says and a moment later their blades and clashing. Ichigo shields both Rukia and Orihime with his body, since Orihime's shield isn't available, from the sudden wave of pressure.

Orihime watched as the two men fought, blades slashing through the air but the outcome was evident early on. Nnoitra didn't stand a chance. Within minutes, Ulquiorra had the Espada bloodied and panting.

"You never did understand the difference in power between ranks," said Ulquiorra in a monotonous tone.

Nnoitra laughed conceitedly and dove forward with blade outstretched. In a blink of an eye, Ulquiorra sliced the lanky Espada from shoulder to hip. Nnoitra fell to his knees and landed with a loud thud on his front; a puddle of red streaking out from his body.

Ulquiorra didn't bother to glance at the nearly lifeless body as he walked over and picked up the discarded box off the ground. He moved to Orihime's side and handed the package over to her. She quickly opened it and slid the two clips into her bangs then smiled warmly up at Ulquiorra; mouthing a silent thank you as she reached up and kissed him firmly on the lips.

When the group was walking through Urahara's basement, Ichigo said, "It wasn't so bad fighting beside you. I might be able to get used to it." His comment was directed towards a thoroughly relieved Ulquiorra who still had an arm wrapped securely around Orihime.

"Getting used to it might be pushing it," he answered and the gang laughed comfortably together as they sunk back into their bodies; Rukia into her gigai.

Orihime quickly went to work healing herself and then they continued towards the stairway.

"So, how many pieces is the guy in Ulquiorra?" a teasing voice called out from the top of the steps.

"Almost two," Ichigo answered for a silent Ulquiorra who wasn't used to any sort of teasing banter directed towards him.

"I expected nothing less. Great to see you back Orihime," said Urahara as the group walked through his shop and started to exit.

"Thank you Urahara-san," said a smiling Orihime.

A few minutes later, the foursome came to a cross-road and split to go their separate ways. Orihime thanked them again before they left and then walked beside Ulquiorra back to her place in the dark of the night. It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago; they had been watching a movie together. It seemed like decades had passed.

When they got home, neither could keep their hands off the other; the adrenaline from earlier creating havoc in their systems. They stumbled their way through the living room and eventually nearly fell through Orihime's bedroom door into her room. Their mouths were devouring each others. Hands reached in desperate caresses and clothing quickly melted off their bodies.

Orihime fell back on her bed and Ulquiorra was quick to join her as they hungrily sought out the others body.

Ulquiorra paused to look down at Orihime, his eyes softening and heat rolling through him. "Orihime, I… " what he was about to say was lost as the woman's mouth claimed his again. Her lips moved to his neck and he moaned at the feeling. Her small hands moved down his body and clasped his thick arousal boldly, stroking the velvety flesh in a desperate act of domination. She needed this. She needed to feel in control. Nnoitra had made her feel more vulnerable than she had ever felt in her whole life. Ulquiorra understood what she was feeling and when she pushed at him to roll over, he did without hesitation.

Orihime's mouth was all over him. Her legs straddled his and she continued to assault him with her tongue, tasting every inch of him. She sucked on his neck, leaving small marks across his skin. Her mouth closed over each nipple, licking the area and then moving her body between his legs so she could kiss her way over his stomach. When she came to his groin, she grasped his erection firmly and took it deep in her mouth. She watched his reactions as she moved up and down his length, relishing the way his eyes clenched shut and he kept sucking in deep breaths. She wanted to taste everything.

Ulquiorra reached a hand down to Orihime's hair and gently pulled. "Orihime, I'm going to come if you don't stop," he rasped huskily.

Orihime's eyes lit up devilishly and she quickened her movements over his throbbing member. She wanted to watch him lose control and soon she got her wish. His hips started bucking beneath her and the hand in her hair tightened its hold.

"Oh my God… Orihime!" he cried out as he shot down the back of her throat. She gulped the salty load down and slowly sucked her up his length to release him. She looked down at him with a smile and watched his chest heave rapidly as he came down from his orgasm.

"Did you like that?" she asked knowing full well that he did but dying to hear it from his own lips.

"You're incredible," he answers and gathers her body against his.

Orihime starts to feel the frenzy that had taken over her, slowly disappear. She was safe. Ulquiorra was with her. She was in his arms. She could never be harmed with him.

"Thank you Ulqui," she whispers against his neck and feels fingers lift her chin.

"Orihime, I love you," Ulquiorra says and his feelings are open plainly for her to see in his eyes as he looked at her.

A sob escapes her throat as she looks back and tears start to cloud her vision. "I love you too," she answers and is instantly caught up in a passionate kiss. The kiss seems to last forever, both so caught up in their feelings that time passed without any care. When they finally broke apart, Ulquiorra rolled Orihime over and started lavishing loving kisses down her throat and then down her chest. He wanted to kiss every inch of skin that had been exposed to the evil Espada and reclaim her as his own. His lips wrapped around a sensitive nipple and Orihime arched up to press more of herself in his warm mouth. He worked the sensitive peaks till she was panting beneath him. She could feel the growing heat between her groin and she wanted more. Her hips lifted up, searching for him.

"Please Ulquiorra… I need you now," she asked desperately.

He looked into her eyes and saw the incredible need in their silver depths. He moved his body up and kissed her while he seated his hips between hers. With a quick move, he slid inside her moist passage; pushing fully inside in one deep thrust. His mouth captures her moan as her whole body tensed and soon they are moving together in an ever increasing rhythm; hips grinding erotically. They both near their releases at the same time and a moment later, they are both crying out… clutching each other as they reach their climax's.

Ulquiorra tries to roll to the side so as not to crush Orihime beneath him but her arms won't let him. She loves the feel of his body on top of her, pressing her into the soft mattress. After several minutes, she starts pressing tiny kisses to his shoulder and Ulquiorra lifts his head to look at her.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

Orihime smiles and answers, "Wonderful… thanks to you."

This time Ulquiorra manages to roll over and he gathers Orihime against his side, letting her rest her head on his chest. Within minutes they are both claimed by sleep.

When Ulquiorra opens his eyes the next morning, he is assaulted by bright sunlight streaming through the window. He squints and turns his head to look down at the woman still sleeping on top of him. Sometime during the night she had wrapped herself around his body, arms flung across his chest and legs laying over his. When he tried to move just slightly to stretch out a few tight muscles, Orihime grabbed tightly to him and moaned in her sleep.

Thoughts of the previous night came flooding back to his brain. She had said she loved him. He hadn't known how happy something so simple could make him feel.

He started to trail a finger over her back and soon she was lifting her face and resting her chin on his chest. "Good morning!" she said happily.

"Good morning," he replied and kissed her.

Her eyes moved across the room and she gasped as she saw the clock. "It's 2pm! I've never slept this late before."

"Well, we had a late night. Did you have plans today?" he asked.

Orihime shook her head and let herself lie back on Ulquiorra. "We can do this all day if we want," she said and snuggled against him.

The moment was soon interrupted by Orihime's growling stomach. She giggled at the sound and said, "Well I guess that ruins that."

With another giggle, Orihime sits up from the bed and pulls out a drawer in her dresser. She throws on one of Ulquiorra's t-shirts and passes him a pair of pajama pants which he quickly pulls on and then follows her out to the kitchen. His pants hang seductively low and Orihime has a hard time concentrating on what she's cooking and settles for something simple.

They sit down together and Orihime asks, "So what should we do today?"

Ulquiorra shrugs and takes another bite of his food.

Orihime ponders her own question and is interrupted when her phone starts to ring. She jumps up and grabs her cell phone, pressing a button and saying a cheerful greeting.

-Oh hi Rukia. How are you?-

-Soul Society what…-

-They heard?-

-Oh no-

Ulquiorra started getting frustrated listening to the one sided conversation and stops eating to listen.

-We have to go there?-

-But…-

-Ugh ok-

-Thanks Rukia- and the woman hangs up the phone.

Orihime looks over at Ulquiorra's confused face and explains. "The soul society heard about your recent… change and also about our adventure last night. They are demanding that we go to the Soul Society and speak to the Captain General."

Ulquiorra's face hardens into anger. 'Not over his dead body.'


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Orihime watched her boyfriends face harden in anger. She hated seeing him this way. It was an understandable reaction considering the history between himself and Soul Society but she could also see why the Soul Society would feel extremely nervous about his new 'talents'.

"It's actually pretty neat in Soul Society. I can introduce you to Rangiku. She's so nice," said Orihime while she moved across the room to take a seat beside Ulquiorra on the couch.

His jaw was still clenched but he softened a little when she reached a hand up and cupped his pale cheek. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to avoid it," she said softly and continued stroking his cheek.

Ulquiorra stared into her deep grey eyes and felt foolish for sulking the way he'd been. She didn't deserve his anger. She was only relaying the message. He wrapped an arm around her back and drew her body closer to his side.

"Don't be sorry. I'll go. I don't imagine I have much choice in the matter," he said and rested his head on top of hers.

"Thank you Ulqui. It'll work out. You'll see," reassured Orihime who then popped her head up with a huge smile and said, "Let's go take a bath. I hate this negative talking."

"A bath?" he turned his face up to look at the woman who was now standing in front of him with her hand outstretched.

"Mhmm…"

"But I took a shower last night," he said with a look of confusion.

Orihime laughed and said, "You're more naïve than me."

He highly doubted that but he took her proffered hand and let her lead him to the bathroom. She started turning the knobs over the tub and when she was satisfied with the temperature, she stood up and started peeling off her clothes. 'This bath thing was looking better and better,' he thought to himself.

When she was completely naked, she stuck her toe into the water and tested it to make sure it wasn't too hot. He watched her smile and then step inside the tub, sinking quickly in and took a seat and then looked over at him. "Are you coming in?" she asked, a slightly evil smile tainting her moist lips.

Ulquiorra threw off his clothes in record time. His haste in entering the tub made a large amount of water slosh over the edge and Orihime laughed at him. He settled into the far, narrow end of the tub and watched the woman slide her body over and sit between his legs. Her head leaned back against his shoulder and her arms rested beneath the water against his thighs.

"Makes you wish we had a Jacuzzi doesn't it?" she said and closed her eyes.

Ulquiorra only grunted in response and leaned his head back against the side of the tub. He closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the moment. Her luscious body pressed seductively against his own and his hand found its way to her flat stomach. His fingers started to draw random patterns over her skin. It was unbelievable, he thought, that he was sitting in the tub with Orihime's naked body sitting so relaxed between his legs. In just a few weeks, his entire life had changed and now he couldn't imagine life without her. He had been so utterly terrified after Nnoitra had taken her.

His arm clenched tighter around her waist as his thoughts started to wander.

"Ulquiorra?" said Orihime in a soft voice.

"Hmm?"

"Are you still upset?" she asked.

He shook his head and then kissed her on the top of her head before he answered out loud, "No, I'm not."

"I'm glad. I don't want you ever to be angry," Orihime said and turned her head to give him a kiss. Her lips linger over his and their tongues start to seek out each others. It doesn't take long before both of their hearts are beating faster.

"Mmm," said Orihime as she pulled away from his mouth. She settled back down in his lap and closed her eyes.

After several minutes, Ulquiorra's fingers started wandering over Orihime's body. He simply couldn't help himself. Her body was such a temptation and every inch cried out to be caressed. His fingertips glided over her breasts which were submerged under the warm water. He slowly stroked the hardening nipples till they were pleasure filled peaks. He pinched them gently, causing Orihime to moan deep in her throat. His fingers continued to play with her, cupping her large breasts and pressing intimate kisses to her neck and shoulders. Her body started to move restlessly against his and he could feel his arousal starting to make an appearance.

His hands slid back down her stomach and he wrapped his legs around Orihime's outstretched ones, opening them till they were pressed against the side of the tub. His hands glided over her stomach and moved to the nest of wet curls. He sifted his fingers through and could feel the woman hold in her breath as he worked his way down. His middle finger slid between her feminine lips and found the ball of nerves that always caused Orihime to gasp and moan. He stroked the sensitive nub; his finger moving around it in tiny circles. Her body started to move erotically against his and his erection started to slide between her folds.

"Ulqui, put it… put it in please," she begged as she grinded against him.

He leaned forward and bit her earlobe as he continued to torment her clit.

'Not yet my love. I want to feel you come against my fingers first," he whispered against her ear.

She gasped at his boldness; his words turning her on and making her entire body tingle with heat. She loved when he let himself go.

Her body started to quake against him and soon he could feel her tensing. Her hands grabbed the tops of his thighs and her nails dug into the flesh as he watched her arch her entire body and cry out her release. He eased his rhythm as her orgasm spiraled down till she was breathing more calmly. Her head rested against his chest and she softly said, "Now will you?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Mmm… yes please," she said and turned her head to kiss him then reached between her legs and grasped him; leading him to her entrance.

He slid easily inside and moaned as she took him deeper. Her hips started grinding over him and the water started lapping over the sides but neither cared as her rhythm increased rapidly. She grew frustrated at the lack of friction between their bodies because of the water and turned desperate eyes to him. "Can we get out of the tub?' she asks breathlessly.

He nods and both of them nearly jump out of the tub and grab at each other in desperation. Tongues battle and Ulquiorra pushes Orihime back against the wall. Her hand finds the handle and fumbles as she tries to open the door. When it comes crashing open, they stumble through, not breaking their kiss and give up half way down the hall; falling to the ground. Ulquiorra moves on top of her and thrusts himself inside again.

Orihime moans loudly and meets him thrust for thrust. She can feel the build up inside her, pushing higher and higher as he quickened his pace. Their hips slapped together, and Ulquiorra is thrusting faster… harder as they near their releases.

"I wanna see you come again Orihime," he whispers in his deep voice.

She explodes at his words and Ulquiorra is there, pushing in the last few times before he stops abruptly and cries out his orgasm. His body collapses over hers and Orihime runs her hands along his back.

"Who cares what the Soul Society thinks as long as we can do that over and over again," said Orihime, panting between words.

Ulquiorra's mind was too muddled with sex to do anything but agree with her.

A bit later, after they had cleaned up and were sitting out in the living room, Ulquiorra asked while Orihime kneeled in front of a stack of DVD's, "When do we have to go?"

Orihime knew he was talking about the Soul Society so she answered, "Rukia said tomorrow morning." She turned to face him with a DVD in hand and a huge smile, "How about Wall-E?"

He shrugged and watched Orihime bounce up and down in excitement as she put the DVD in the machine. "I love Wall-E! I could watch this over and over again." She jumped up on to the couch beside Ulquiorra and laid down, resting her head on his lap.

Ulquiorra dropped his arm to just below her chest and watched the screen as the movie began.

XxXxXxX

"No! I don't want to get up," Orihime complained when the alarm went off the next morning.

Ulquiorra was quick to turn the machine off and returned to the position he woke up in; Orihime's back tucked against his front. His lips brushed the top of her shoulder and he felt the woman wiggle against him.

"I'm hating the Soul Society right now," Orhime mumbled and then rolled over to face Ulquiorra. She touched his face with her fingertips and her eyes fell into the deep depths of his gaze. "But we better get up before Rukia comes pounding on the door," she said and pushed herself out of bed.

Ulquiorra laid back with his arms behind his head as he watched Orihime wander around the room, grabbing clean clothes and stripping out of her PJ's. When she noticed his eyes on her, she smiled and jumped back on the bed to give him a quick kiss.

"Lazy butt, get out of bed," she said and kissed him again before getting up and leaving the room.

Ulquiorra changed quickly and walked out to the kitchen where Orihime was busy preparing a breakfast for them. Sure enough, not five minutes later, there was a loud knock at the door and Rukia walked in after Orihime opened the door.

"Good morning guys," said the small, black haired girl.

"Good morning Rukia. We were just finishing up breakfast and then we'll be ready to go. Would you like some?" Orihime asked.

Rukia looked skeptically at the pile of food and shook her head saying she'd already eaten.

"How long do you think we'll have to be there for?" asked Orihime as she finished the last bit of food on her plate.

"Hopefully by the end of the day. I told Ichigo I'd be back this evening. Renji, Ikkaku, and Yumichika are coming back with us. Apparently they want to go out to some human bar," said Rukia.

A few minutes later, Orihime and Ulquiorra cleaned off their plates and the group was ready to go. Rukia opened a Senkai gate and pushed against Ulquiorra's chest with her glove to pop his soul out.

It didn't take long for them to make it through to the Soul Society. Guards were waiting for their arrival and told them that they were to escort the Arrancar to the Captain-Commander.

Once there, Rukia left them to go take care of a few things and Orihime was told to wait out in the hall while Ulquiorra was led inside to Yamamoto's rooms. He walked in, his pace steady as he observed his surroundings. The room was sparsely furnished and standing towards the back of the room was an ancient looking man with a wooden cane that looked like it was about to crack in half. He approached the man and stopped a few feet away, never letting his gaze lift from the old mans face.

"So you are the Cuatro Espada turned shinigami," the old man said after a long silence.

Ulquiorra nodded and waited for the man to continue.

"I have been told that you went back to Hueco Mundo and killed one of your own kind to save a human; a human who you once kidnapped and brought to Las Noches. Is this true?" Yamamoto asked.

Once again, Ulquiorra nodded his head, not wanting to elaborate any further.

"Hmm," said the old man as he slowly stroked his beard with long, slender fingers. "Why did you do this?"

"I have no allegiance to my former cohorts. We were all there for one reason and that one reason is now locked up for eternity in your prison," Ulquiorra said and was astounded by how little emotion he felt at mentioning Aizen. He didn't miss for one second his old life. He continued, "The woman showed me kindness when I deserved none so it was only fair that I return the favor when she needed me."

The Captain-Commander started to pace in front of him, lost deep in thought. Eventually he turned to him again and asked, "And what of your… transformation. How did this occur?"

Ulquiorra took a deep breath before explaining. "When my body regenerated, I was somehow turned into a human. My soul remained as it was which is why I am now able to turn into a soul reaper." He didn't like having to explain such personal stuff to this stranger, especially not the head Captain, but he saw little choice in the matter. This man could make his life hell if he wanted to and at this moment, all he wanted was to have a semi-normal life with Orihime. He wanted to make her happy for as long as she wanted him around. If he had to suck up to this old man to do it, then so be it.

Yamamoto grunted as he listened to Ulquiorra and stopped abruptly to face him. "I cannot allow you to roam around the world of the living as a soul reaper. Your recent acts do not erase your history. You will be allowed to practice so long as you are in Urahara's company and I will allow Ichigo to spar with you if he agrees. You will report back to me every six months and I will judge your status."

Ulquiorra hadn't hoped for more but he couldn't help the anger that bubbled up inside him at being told what he could and couldn't do. He also didn't like being dismissed which the old man was obviously doing to him by turning away and working on a pile of paperwork sitting on his desk.

He exited the room and was relieved to see Orihime standing outside. She had a worried look on her face, biting her bottom lip and wringing her hands in front of her.

"So… how did it go?" she asked hesitantly.

Ulquiorra took her hand as they turned to walk down the pathway. "It's what we expected. I can train in Urahara's basement and he will assess me every few months. Other than that though, I am not allowed to be in shinigami form."

Orihime let out a sigh of relief and smiled up at him. "That's great! Kurosaki-kun will be happy to have someone to practice with."

They walked along, passing a few shinigami here and there until they came to the 10th divisions' barracks. As soon as they entered, Rangiku was there, holding out her arms to Orihime for a huge hug. Ulquiorra watched the pair of women and felt himself instantly liking the Lieutenant. It was obvious that the woman had a sincere fondness for Orihime. When Orihime introduced him, he wondered if he should change his initial observation of the woman after she threw her arms around him and hugged him tighter than he'd ever been before, nearly suffocating him in her exuberance.

"Oh my God, Orihime! I didn't know you had a boyfriend. And what a hottie! Way to go girl!" said Rangiku as she elbowed Orihime and motioned for them to come inside.

The bosomy, strawberry blonde woman led them inside a large room. Sitting behind a desk with several large piles of papers, a gruff voice roared, "Matsumoto!"

"Tai-cho? We have visitors," Rangiku said, ignoring her captain's shout.

Ulquiorra watched a small, white haired boy peak around the desk and stare at them. His eyes widened in alert, then smoothly transitioned to one of curiosity. He didn't bother to greet them as he continued to coolly chastise Rangiku. "You are not allowed to leave until all of your work is done. I will not be stuck doing your work for you again."

Rangiku huffed and said, "But tai-cho, we have company. I can't ignore them."

Captain Hitsugaya walked around the wooden desk and came up to Orihime and Ulquiorra. He extended his hand to Ulquiorra and introduced himself then said a warm hello to Orihime, remembering her generosity when he had been living in the human world.

"Would you like some tea?" he offered and then turned to Rangiku with narrowed eyes, "Your 'company' is occupied. Finish your work."

Orihime and Ulquiorra followed the boy captain to a side room and uncomfortably sipped the tea he offered. Not a word was spoken until a light knock was heard on the screen outside. "Tai-cho?"

They could practically see smoke rising from the captains head as he turned and shouted, "What do you want Matsumoto?"

"It sounds boring in there. You're not a good host," Rangiku said and plopped down on the cushions beside her captain. "So how long are you guys staying here?"

Orihime quickly answered, "Just today. Rukia is taking us back when she's done doing a few things here. I think Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika are coming with as well. Something about a bar."

Rangiku's ears perked up and immediately Captain Hitsugaya started to growl, "No! You will not be going. You have too much work to do."

"But Tai-cho," Rangiku whined and said, "Tomorrow is my day off. If I get all my paperwork done today could I go?"

The white haired boy could only sigh in exasperation and agree. Immediately he was swept up in a crushing hug and Ulquiorra's eyes-widened when he watched the boys face get shoved between the woman's massive breasts.

"Matsumoto!" the boy screamed and turned a bright shade of red.

The girl in question just ignored him and said, "I'm sorry to cut our visit short Orihime… and Ulquiorra, but I gotta finish that work. I'll see you tonight!" she called out and left the room.

They finished their cups of tea and then the captain showed them how to get to the 13th division. They found Rukia who was still busy finishing some things up and Orihime told her about Rangiku and how she would be joining them later as well. Rukia just shook her head and said, "Looks like it's going to turn into a big event."

Orihime just nodded in agreement and waited patiently as Rukia scribbled rapidly over a few pieces of paper and then hurriedly shoved them into a folder. Finally, when everything was in order, Rukia said, "I guess we should go get Renji. Ikkaku and Yumichika are supposed to be with him and then we can get going."

**Sorry to end this abruptly and leave it short. I had a rough time with this chapter for some reason but hopefully it'll get better next time. I didn't want to let another day go by without posting something though. **

**For those of you who have read some of my other stories… you'll notice I used the movie _Wall-E_ in those as well. I just absolutely adore that movie and I think Orihime would like it too. _Eeee-va_!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"You look fine. Let's go," whined Ikkaku as the group stood their waiting for Yumichika to exit the bathroom.

From the other side of the door came a horror stricken voice, "Fine?! I look fine?! I never look just fine."

A moment later, Rangiku joined the group, breathing heavy like she'd just run from her barracks. "Hey guys! You didn't think I'd let you go to a bar without me did you?"

"Hey Rangiku. We're just waiting on Yumichika," said Renji as he leaned back in his chair, unfolding his legs and stretching them out on the nearby coffee table.

"Oh Yumi. I'll take care of this," and she walked inside the bathroom which clearly was marked '11th Division Men's Bathroom'. Sure enough though, a few minutes later, Rangiku walked out with Yumichika following behind; a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Let's go!" Rangiku announced and the group started filing out the door.

As they left the barracks, Orihime moved over to Rangiku's side and asked, "How did you get him out?"

The bosomy woman laughed and answered, "You just have to tell him how beautiful he is. Only flattery works on Yumichika."

Orihime smiled and walked back over to Ulquiorra who was in conversation with Renji.

"So the Captain-Commander is gonna let you practice with Ichigo. Not bad. Beat him up for me will ya." Renji said with a grin.

The group approached the Senkai gate and soon they were walking out in the center of Karakura. It was still early evening so the group split up. Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika all went to Ichigo's house and Rangiku followed Orihime and Ulquiorra to Orihime's place.

"So what are you making for dinner?" asked Rangiku enthusiastically as they walked inside Orihime's apartment.

Ulquiorra re-joined his body and then walked over to take a seat on the sofa. He watched the two woman move around the kitchen on the other side of the room and he loved how Orihime seemed so at ease around this woman. They were really enjoying themselves as they worked together, chopping vegetables and stirring this concoction and that.

"Are you guys coming tonight?" Rangiku asked.

"Uh… I don't know. No one's asked," answered Orihime who was taste testing her latest experiment. She smiled satisfactorily and spooned out another bite for Rangiku to taste who also smiled after swallowing the food.

"Oh don't be silly. Don't wait for an invitation. Just go, like me."

Orihime nodded to Rangiku.

"Here Ulqui… try this," said Orihime as she walked across the room with her spoon outstretched.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth and let the woman feed him. He couldn't quite exhibit the same enthusiasm as the women but it wasn't… horrible. He nodded and that seemed to be enough for Orihime who smiled happily and walked back to the kitchen.

"So, how long have you guys been together?" asked Rangiku.

"Uh, two days I think," answered Orihime a bit nervously.

"Who asked who?" the taller lady inquired further.

"Well…. Umm, sort of me I guess."

Ulquiorra listened to the women talk about his and Orihime's new relationship. The overly voluptuous woman didn't seem to mind at all their strange beginning and just continued to ask question after question, commenting occasionally in excited tones.

"That is so cute!" cried Rangiku after she listened to Orihime describe their vacation… leaving out the naughty parts.

A little bit later, after they finished dinner, Orihime moved over to Ulquiorra's side and leaned over to whisper to him, "Do you mind going tonight? It might be fun."

Ulquiorra shrugged his shoulders and took the woman's hand in his. He didn't really care where they went and to be completely honest with himself, the shinigami weren't so bad. Ichigo had turned out to be quite reliable and Renji was amusing in his own way.

A moment later, Rangiku was pulling on Orihime's arm saying, "Let me help you pick out something to wear."

Orihime looked back at Ulquiorra with a helpless smile as she was pulled across the room and disappeared down the hall. Rangiku went immediately to Orihime's closet and started rummaging through, pulling out anything that revealed skin.

"This is perfect!" cried Rangiku as she held up a black vest.

"Err, Rangiku… that's supposed to be worn over a button up shirt," said Orihime as she eyed the piece of clothing wearily.

"Bah! Personal fashion statement! You'll look amazing! Ulquiorra won't be able to keep his hands off of you."

Orihime bit her lip nervously and took the vest from Rangiku's hand.

"Are these jeans fitted?" Rangiku asked, throwing a pair of medium wash jeans towards Orihime.

"Umm, yea I guess so," Orihime answered.

"Try them on please! I wanna see. And OOO, can I borrow this?" Rangiku asked and waved a bright pink sleeveless shirt in front of Orihime.

"Yea sure," she answered.

Orihime changed into the outfit that had been picked out for her and gasped at how much skin it showed. The back had only a thin strip that ran from the waist band up to the collar and the front V plunged so deeply that you could see the top of her stomach peaking out below her cleavage. Between the vest and waist band of her jeans was another glimpse of skin, revealing a bit of her flat stomach and hips.

"Rangiku, I can't wear this," Orihime said.

The woman turned to Orihime and said, "You're right… you need a belt."

Orihime slapped a hand over her forehead and grabbed the black belt Rangiku pushed her direction a moment later.

"You look amazing Orihime. Your man will love it!...Not to mention all the other men which will drive him nuts."

Orihime looked at herself in the large mirror and bit her lower lip. Could she really wear something like this? She wondered if Rangiku was right… would it really drive Ulquiorra crazy? The thought appealed to her. When she turned back around, Rangiku was adjusting the tiny pink top over her bosom and Orihime felt a little better about her outfit. At least she wasn't revealing as much as her.

"That top looks good on you Rangiku," she said honestly as she admired the woman's curvaceous body.

"Thanks!" answered Rangiku appreciatively. "Do you have a couple thin jackets to wear? We don't want the men seeing us before we get to the bar." Rangiku said and winked slyly. "You should wear your hair up. It'll show off your back better."

The girls applied a minimum amount of makeup and Orihime threw her hair up in a ponytail before they shrugged on their jackets and met back up with a patiently waiting Ulquiorra in the living room.

The small group left and walked over to Ichigo's house where everyone was just walking out the door. Ichigo had a frazzled look on his face as he locked up his house and followed the group down the street.

Orihime threaded her fingers through Ulquiorra's as they walked down the street, trailing slightly behind the group. "Sorry about leaving you alone in the living room for so long. Rangiku was having fun going through my closet."

"It was fine," he answered, rubbing his thumb along the back of Orihime's hand.

When the group finally made it to the bar, they quickly found three tables and pushed them together to form one large table where they could all sit. Rangiku shrugged out of her jacket and draped it over the back of her chair; drawing several eyes to admire her curvaceous form from both the table she occupied and surrounding tables.

Orihime bit nervously at her lip and peeled her jacket off as well. She didn't look up to see anyone's reactions but she heard a small gasp from the man beside her.

Ulquiorra eyed the expanse of flesh revealed before him and his fingers started to itch with a desire to touch her. Her slender back curved gracefully and when he took a seat, he was afforded a remarkable side view of her cleavage. When he was finally able to remove his eyes from the woman, he noticed several other men staring at Orihime and he immediately started to seethe in anger. Without realizing what he was doing, he slid his chair closer to Orihime's and draped a possessive arm around her shoulders.

Rangiku was chuckling from across the table but quickly coughed when Ulquiorra turned his menacing gaze towards her and turned her attention to Renji by her side. "Let's set up one of these tables for beer pong," she suggested and got up to go find some cups.

After they set the game up, they broke up into teams of two and the first groups to go were Ikkaku and Yumickika vs. Rangiku and Renji.

"You can't lean over that far," complained Ikkaku when Renji started to aim his ping pong ball.

Ulquiorra observed the teams and quickly learned the simple rules of the game. He, of course, was paired up with Orihime and it was their turn to go next against Ichigo and Rukia. Renji and Rangiku won the first match, leaving Ikkaku and Yumichika arguing with each other.

When the table was set up for the next round, Ulquiorra watched Orihime take aim and launch the orange ball across the table. With a cheer, the ball landed in a beer filled cup and Ichigo picked it up and chugged the contents.

It was a treat just watching Orihime play. He found it hard to concentrate on what he was doing with her standing next to him, looking like that. Every time she leaned forward, the gentle curve of her back distracted him and his fingers itched to touch the tantalizing skin. When she turned to him with an excited smile, his eyes fell inevitably down to her cleavage and he shook his head to try to erase the path of his thoughts.

"Your turn Ulqui," she said and watched him attempt to bounce the ball into a cup. The ball went sailing over the table and everyone laughed at his failed attempt; knowing full well why he wasn't able to concentrate enough to get a good shot off.

"Hey Ulquiorra," said Ichigo from across the table. "I heard old man Yamamoto said you could practice with me. Wanna go to Urahara's tomorrow?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly and he nodded his head. 'That was going to be strange,' he thought.

Orihime and Ulquiorra were defeated soon after and returned to the groups table with a slight buzz. Ikkaku and Yumichika were sitting there as well and Ulquiorra appreciated how neither man ogled Orihime as she sat down. He heard the man with raven hair say, "Maybe we should go back to that store and get that wig for you again."

The bald man turned menacing eyes towards his friend and the smaller man started to laugh hysterically.

Orihime poured drinks for everyone at the table and felt her boyfriends' eyes on her again. She hadn't expected him to react so strongly to her apparel. One moment he was looking at her like he wanted to devour her and the next, he was glowering at nothing in particular; at least not that Orihime could see. She knew her body had distracted him while they played and she wondered just how much further she could push this.

"I need to go to the ladies room. I'll be right back," she said and stood up from her chair. As she passed Ulquiorra's chair, she trailed her fingers over his shoulders and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I wish you could join me." Her tongue darted out and licked the back of his ear before she rose and walked away.

Ulquiorra gulped when he felt her tongue and turned just in time to see her hips swaying seductively away. He could already feel a definite tightening in his groin and he sat back, releasing an agonized groan. The two men sitting on the other side of the table smirked at him before they turned back to their argument.

In the bathroom, Orihime assessed her appearance in the large mirror and frowned at the exposed skin. She couldn't believe she'd let Rangiku talk her into wearing this but she might as well make the best of it. The one person whose attention she did want certainly seemed to be noticing her and the thought caused her to smile. She loved catching him off guard.

With a large exhale, she turned from the mirror and marched out of the bathroom; her confidence growing with every step. Ulquiorra was still in the seat she'd left him in and instead of taking her own seat, Orihime moved to stand behind him and slowly slid her fingers into Ulquiorra's thick hair. She started to run her nails gently over his scalp and felt Ulquiorra's head lean back as he moaned softly.

Whatever the woman was trying to do, Ulquiorra liked it. Every movement of her fingers made his whole body relax… except for one area which was rapidly growing rigid beneath his pants. 'Thank God he was sitting', was all he could think as the woman's fingers started making circles over his temples. A shiver went down his spine when the woman leaned to his side and whispered, "I wish I could touch more of you."

Ulquiorra gulped again and wished for the same thing. His whole body was achingly aware of the woman behind him and every movement she made caused him to tense in anticipation.

Orihime moved and whispered in his other ear, "Do you want to touch me?"

He quickly nodded and waited breathlessly as the woman tilted his head back and leaned over him. Her lips brushed over his and her tongue licked over his bottom lip before she lifted her head and walked away.

Ulquiorra's heart was pounding as he sat there. Every fiber of his being was thrumming with need and he had to close his eyes and take a deep breath to get himself under control. When he opened his eyes, he searched the room till he found Orihime standing beside the table where the final match was taking place. She was facing him and when his eyes found hers, she smiled seductively at him and turned back to watching the game.

The chair made a screeching sound as he pushed it back from the table and stood up. He moved around the table till he was standing just a few feet behind the woman. His eyes drank up the sight of her while he slowly moved closer.

Orihime could sense him; more than see him behind her. Every muscle was attuned to the man behind her and a breathless moment later, his knuckles brushed along the length of her exposed back. Her entire back tensed at the contact and she sucked in a silent breath as shivers started running up and down the length of her body. His sweet breath fanned out over her neck and shoulder as he bent down and whispered in her ear, "Did you say something about touching earlier?"

Orihime shivered again and then the fingers which were rubbing deliciously over her skin, started to move. With agonizing slowness, his hands drifted to her sides. They came to her vest and the tips of his fingers moved underneath, caressing the skin beneath. Orihime forgot where she was, her entire universe was centered on his fingers. A surge of heat flooded her veins and she took a step back… needing to feel his body against hers. Her wish didn't come true though. Ulquiorra took a step back with her, keeping her body away from his and continuing his caress. When he felt her body tremble, he leaned forward and planted a kiss to the spot where her neck and shoulder connected then impulsively grabbed a firm butt cheek and gave it a quick squeeze before turning and walking away. She gasped in shock and turned to watch Ulquiorra walk away and sit back down at the table. She wanted him so bad.

Before the game ended, Orihime leaned near Rangiku and whispered, "I'm sorry but… Ulquiorra and I have to go. Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Rangiku nodded and smiled knowingly as she whispered back, "Go get him girl. Don't worry about me, I'll find a place to stay."

Orihime smiled shyly and gave her friend a quick hug before walking back towards the other table. Ulquiorra was sitting there, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at nothing in particular in front of him. She didn't bother stopping as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up from his seat; marching out of the bar.

They didn't make it two steps out the door before they were on each other, Ulquiorra pressing her back against the side of the building as his lips devoured hers. His tongue slipped between her lips and Orihime let out a strangled moan as he sucked greedily on hers. She needed him now.

Their mouths broke apart, both wanting the same thing and hurriedly started making their way down the street; fingers entwined since they dared not touch each other.

Ulquiorra couldn't help letting his eyes drift over her body as they walked. Her steps caused her breasts to bounce erotically beneath her vest and he could catch glimpses of the side of her breast peaking through as her arm swung back and forth. The skin above her waistband made him lick is lips and an instant later, he grabbed Orihime and pulled her into a narrow alleyway between two buildings; crushing her against the wall and hungrily licking and sucking her neck.

"Oh Ulquiorra!" cried Orihime as his lips sent sparks through her body. Her fingers sifted through his raven hair and clutched tightly when his teeth nibbled on her skin. When he lifted his mouth from her neck, she quickly pulled his face up to hers for a searing kiss that left them both breathless and desperate.

"Let's go," said Ulquiorra huskily and grabbed Orihime's hand as they strode down the street.

A few minutes later, (which seemed like hours to them) they burst through the doorway to Orihime's apartment and their hands were on each other instantly. Ulquiorra's fingers quickly worked on the buttons of Orihime's vest and since there were only three, he had the fabric undone and off her in seconds. He cupped her now unbound breasts in both his hands and groaned at the feel while Orihime started tugging at Ulquiorra's shirt.

Their bodies clashed together, skin against skin, as they kissed. Orihime broke her mouth away long enough to say, "Bedroom…" before locking her lips with his again.

They stumbled their way to the bedroom and pants and underwear were shed soon after. Orihime pulled Ulquiorra on to the bed with her and immediately wrapped her legs around his narrow waist. His mouth didn't leave hers as he reached between their bodies and steered himself inside her opening.

With a gasp, Orihime released his lips and arched up, bringing him deeper. The man above her stills as he looks down at her lustfully excited face. Her eyes are closed tightly and her mouth is slightly parted while raspy breaths pass through her lips. He waits until she opens her eyes, looking at him with so much longing that he groans and has to concentrate just to keep still.

"Ulquiorra… please," she begs when he doesn't move his hips against her.

He leans down and presses intimate kisses to her neck, still not moving. "Tell me what you want Orihime," he whispers teasingly.

'Oh God,' she thought. 'He's going to drive me insane if he doesn't move soon.' Out loud she mumbles, "Move… please."

He does what she requests and slides his length out of her till he's just slightly poking her entrance. She waits breathlessly for him to thrust back inside but he never does. She grabs at his hips and tries to pull him into her but he manages to hold himself back.

"Ulquiorra!" she cries out and fists her hands in the sheets, defeated.

"You just have to tell me what you want," he says.

"I want… you. I want you in me… NOW!"

He immediately obliges and slams his hips against her.

"Faster…" she pants and is rewarded with several quickening thrusts.

"I like hearing you Orihime," he whispers against her ear as his hips continue their assault.

A shiver courses through her body from his words and she bites her finger to contain her answering moan. Somehow she feels embarrassed now to make any noises.

Ulquiorra pauses his movements and reaches down to take her hand from her mouth. He grabs her other hand and raise them both above her head, holding them there with one of his own while the other steadies himself above her. Slowly, slowly, he pushes in and out of her. His head is beside hers and she can hear his controlled breathing, it drives her nuts that he's so controlled while she feels like a crazed sex fiend. Her hips start to lift up, desperately trying to submerge his length inside her. Tiny gasps and moans escape her as she feels every delicious inch of him fill her.

"That's it, you sound so incredible," he says, a little bit of his control seeming to be dissolving. His hips start to move faster, pressing into her warmth over and over again while each thrust elicits louder moans from the woman.

Soon, she is writhing beneath him and he releases her hands, positioning both of his on either side of her body as he thrusts maddeningly in and out of her. "You feel so good Orihime."

His words send sparks through her body and an instant later she can feel the building of her orgasm. She climbs up and up, each thrust pushing her closer to that exquisite feeling.

"Come for me," Ulquiorra urges as he slams into her.

Orihime cries out in ecstasy as her orgasm floods her body. Her blood pounds through her body and she's vaguely aware of the man above her, moaning his own release with a last few, deep thrusts.

Several minutes later, Orihime is surprised to find her body calming down. She thought she'd never come down from the cloud she had been floating on. Ulquiorra was wrapped around her, arms holding her close as his own breath started to slow and return to normal.

"I should hit you for doing that to me," Orihime teases and wiggles closer to Ulquiorra.

"For what?" he feigns ignorance.

"You know what," she laughs and turns in his arms to face him. She strokes his cheek with her hand and kisses him lightly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They lay together for a while and Orihime finally breaks the silence by asking, "When are you meeting Ichigo tomorrow?"

Ulquiorra shrugs and says, "We didn't set up a time."

"Hmm, ok. I guess we'll just have to give him a call in the morning."

The room goes silent again and Ulquiorra thinks the woman has fallen asleep when her voice whispers softly, "Ulquiorra… how long are you going to stay with me?"

His body tenses at her words and he's left speechless for a few moments while he tries to collect his thoughts. 'Why did she think he was going to leave?'

"I will stay as long as you want me here," he answers and kisses her lightly on her forehead.

"…Forever?"

His chest tightens with emotion and he squeezes her tighter. "If forever is what you want."

XxXxXxX

"3 o'clock," says Orihime as she places her cell phone on the table.

Ulquiorra nodded and finished eating his bowl of food. Today would be his first time practicing with the orange haired shinigami. The thought was both nerve wrecking and exciting. He longed to hold his sword again but the idea of practicing with a soul reaper was still strange.

"Rukia, Rangiku and I are gonna go out while you're there. We should be back before you finish," said Orihime as she picked up Ulquiorra's bowl once he was finished.

The morning and afternoon went by quickly and soon they were walking to Urahara's shop. Ichigo, Rukia and Rangiku were already there and Orihime gave Ulquiorra a quick kiss good bye as the girls took off to the center of town.

Ulquiorra followed Ichigo down to the enormous basement and within minutes they were clashing swords and sweating profusely. They pushed each other till they were both panting and Ichigo grinned when Ulquiorra took advantage of an opening and pinned Ichigo to the ground.

"Nice job Ulquiorra," clapped an unexpected visitor. They both turned to find out where the noise came from and saw Urahara walking calmly towards them. "I imagine though that you are restless to speak to your sword again. How longs it been?"

Ulquiorra held a hand out to Ichigo and helped him off the ground as he pondered the mans words. He was right of course, the urge to reunite with Murcielago spread rapidly through him and he answered, "You are right. It's been too long."

"Good good. Ichigo? How about you spar with me for a little while?" Urahara said as his cane turned into a sword at his side.

The two left Ulquiorra standing alone, staring at his sword. 'Was it going to be the same?' he wondered as he tried to make the contact he used to easily manage. Nothing happened. His sword did not answer. He frowned and tried to concentrate, pushing his subconscious out towards the sword. His brow furrowed on his face and suddenly he was overwhelmed by darkness. He'd forgotten what it was like; the encompassing blackness surrounding him and sucking him in. Then, a familiar deep voice called out but it was somehow different.

"So Ulquiorra, you've finally come back to visit,"

**I was hesitant to continue this story since I had only really outlined up to the point back when Nnoitra had made his appearance but I couldn't find it in me to stop. I pushed it a little farther and now I'm kind of developing a new outline for the future which I'm a little excited about but a little nervous that people will get sick of the story. Let me know what you think… honestly, I can take it. LOL**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me," said the voice in the darkness; echoing through the empty cave.

Ulquiorra could hear footsteps approaching, a steady thumping as the creature approached. He still couldn't see the figure. His heart began to pound rapidly in his chest and he felt his muscles clench in anticipation. 'Why was he nervous?'

"You seem different," said the voice, substantially closer than it had been a moment before.

"I am different," answered Ulquiorra, trying not to reveal his trepidation.

From the shadows crept a clawed foot, toes curling upwards and sharp, pointy nails tapping the stone floor. A slender leg peaked out of the shadows and soon, the demon like face he remembered appeared in front of him. A frown stretched across the pitch black face; the only source of differentiating color was the bright yellow eyes that glowed menacingly at him and the red slit of his mouth. The long, curved horns matched the blackness and the whole figure was one large shadow as it came ever closer.

"I see," said the baritone voice. Its eyes moved slowly over Ulquiorra's new robes and stared overlong at the absent hole below Ulquiorra's neck. "Tell me..." he pressed, his tone making it clear that anything other than a full explanation would be completely unacceptable.

Ulquiorra took a long, shaky breath before he launched into his tale, relating how he'd been defeated and resurrected. He told him about the transformation and the realization that he was now a shinigami.

The figure continued to stare at him after he finished his story; the yellow eyes scrutinizing him, its body motionless. "What is the cause?"

Ulquiorra blinked, momentarily taken aback by the question. "I am not sure," he said, hoping he was convincing.

"Do not lie to me," Ulquiorra mentally cringed. "… I am a part of you. I can sense something deeper in all of this."

With a deep sigh, Ulquiorra finally explained his new relationship with Orihime. He told him of his feelings and how he believed it was her heart which pulled him through his resurrection and transformed him into what he is now. When he was finished explaining, he waited silently while Murcielago contemplated his words. The next words that left the dark monsters mouth were such a shock to Ulquiorra that they left him standing there with his mouth agape.

"Bring her to me."

"What? I… Why?" he stuttered, for once in his life completely frazzled.

"She is a part of you, therefore, a part of me. I cannot evolve any further as I am which means you cannot evolve. I need to see what has dissolved the despair in you."

It was Ulquiorra's turn to stare, lost in thought. The idea of Orihime meeting Murcielago, frightened him. What would she think? Would she hate him when she saw what he was inside? Fear started to mount inside him.

"Why does it bother you, the idea of me meeting her? I am you, am I not?" said the rumbling voice.

Ulquiorra came to a decision and said, "I will leave it up to the woman."

Murcielago nodded and turned, shrinking back into the shadows with every step. Ulquiorra watched his retreating steps and listened as he said before vanishing into the darkness, "_For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower even from the cliffs of despair."_ –_Anne Morrow Lindberg_

His parting words rang through Ulquiorra's head as the blackness unfolded around him and he found himself back in the rocky underground basement. He stared at the dusty ground, letting his recent confrontation sink in. Could he do this? Could he really ask Orihime to visit such a horrid creature? As much as he hated even mentioning the idea to her, he also knew she would immediately know something was bothering him. She could read him better than he could read himself anymore. It wouldn't take long for her to figure it out. She was quite persistent about things when she wanted to be.

He watched Ichigo and Urahara finish their sparring and walk towards him, each man grinning in satisfaction from their intense training.

"The girls should be back. They're probably waiting upstairs," said Ichigo, turning to walk up the narrow stairway.

Urahara and Ulquiorra followed Ichigo up the narrow stairway. As Ichigo had said, the girls were there and Ulquiorra's green eyes settled heavily on Orihime's smiling face. Immediately her lips turned down and a look of concern spread across. Thankfully she didn't say a word as the group conversed happily and a few minutes later they all split up and headed their separate ways. Rangiku promised to visit later this evening for dinner before she left for the downtown shopping district.

When Orihime and Ulquiorra walked into the small apartment, Orihime took a seat on her overstuffed couch and waited patiently as Ulquiorra moved to sit beside her and gathered her into his arms, kissing the top of her head tenderly. She moved into his lap, her back lying against his front and wrapped her own arms around the ones holding her.

"I spoke with Murcielago today," he started, hesitating before he continued. "I explained everything; my death, my resurrection, my transformation… and you." He heard the woman's breath catch in her throat momentarily before she released it in a silent sigh. "He is… curious, about you."

Orihime didn't speak as Ulquiorra contemplated how to say his next words.

"I have no right to ask you such a thing. The decision is entirely up to you." He took a deep breath before he said, "He wishes to meet you."

Orihime turned bright smiling eyes to his and wiggled to adjust herself in his lap so she could face him. "Really? He wants to meet me?"

Ulquiorra couldn't believe the woman's reaction.

"Oh that sounds like fun. Is he like you? Is something like that even possible?" Orihime started rambling away and Ulquiorra tried to concentrate on her words through his shock.

"You would… actually, do it?" he questioned.

"Sure. Why not?" she looked at him curiously.

"You remember what my 2nd release form looked like right Orihime?" she nodded her head before he continued. "That was my representation of despair. He is the epitome of that despair. It will not be a 'pleasant' experience."

Orihime said, "But that despair is no longer you." Her hand reached up and stroked his cheek while she said, "Maybe it's not much different with him."

Ulquiorra nodded his head at her words and gathered her closer to himself. She was much more insightful than people gave her credit for.

XxXxXxX

Later that night, Orihime closed the door behind Rangiku after giving her friend a bone crushing hug. Her mind had been elsewhere most of the night, images of demons and monsters floating through her head. She remembered Ulquiorra's second release form but the only negative thoughts she remembered were of her friend being in mortal danger. She'd felt pity along with a sense of longing to help this pour soul who'd never felt anything but hatred and despair.

"I'm not letting you do it," Ulquiorra said, interrupting her thoughts.

Orihime raised questioning eyes to Ulquiorra and waited for him to elaborate.

"You have not been yourself since I mentioned meeting Murcielago."

"It's fine… really," she answered, hoping she sounded convincing. She really did want to go. She felt a bit apprehensive but she would feel that way about meeting anyone who was such a huge part of Ulquiorra's life… or former life.

"No. I'm not letting you."

A sliver of defiance formed in her gut and she said, "I'm going."

"No. I won't let him upset you like this."

"It's not him that's upsetting me at the moment," she watched Ulquiorra's face drop after her words and she immediately felt bad for saying them. "I'm sorry Ulqui. I didn't mean it like that. Just give me a moment to figure out how I want to say this." She walked over and took his hand, guiding him to their bedroom and motioning for him to lie down with her. They lay side by side, staring at each other as she stroked his pale cheek.

"I love you Ulquiorra. I want to know every part of you; the good and the bad. I admit that I'm a bit nervous about it but it's not any different than I would feel about meeting your parents… well if you had parents," she said and smiled as she went on. "I want to do this. Please let me."

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime, his eyes searching for any hint of doubt. His body relaxed as he found none. "Ok Orihime. But please promise me something."

"Sure."

"Promise me you will tell me the instant you are uncomfortable," he said and waited for her reply.

"I promise," she answered and kissed him quickly on the lips.

XxXxXxX

Orihime waited breathlessly as Ulquiorra held her hand and concentrated on his sword. They were sitting in the basement of Urahara's shop, completely alone. Suddenly, inky blackness started to envelope her senses, closing in on all sides as she gripped Ulquiorra's hand tighter. She looked around and the only thing that was visible was Ulquiorra's pale skin beside her.

"Just tell me if you want to leave," he whispered and clutched her hand tighter.

She immediately felt calmer and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She could do this.

"What a beautiful woman," the voice said, Orihime liked him already. She still couldn't see the form that the voice came from and she squinted into the darkness. A loud shuffling sound started making its way in her direction and she took a step towards it, curious.

"And brave… nice combination," the voice remarked and the shuffling turned into heavy steps.

"Hello?" said Orihime, grasping Ulquiorra's hand tighter; almost painfully.

"Hello," said the deep tenor. He sounded like he was only a few yards away but she still couldn't see him. It unnerved her a bit. "I am glad you came. I've never gotten to properly meet anyone before… besides Ulquiorra of course. And you are quite a lovely visitor. I should persuade him to bring guests more often."

Ulquiorra couldn't believe his ears. Was Murcielago hitting on Orihime? The thought was preposterous.

"Uh, thanks. This isn't quite fair though… I can't see you," Orihime said with more boldness than she felt.

"Ah yes, you are right. But I do not wish to frighten you."

"It's ok. Ulquiorra prepared me," she answered.

"Did he now?" said the voice, dripping with sarcasm.

Orihime didn't wait for him to come to her and instead took a few steps forward, tugging Ulquiorra along with her. She was able to just catch a glimpse of an outline in front of her before Ulquiorra stepped between her and Murcielago.

"It's ok Ulqui. I'll be fine," she said and grabbed his hips to push him to the side.

"Ulqui is it? How cute? Maybe she'll come up with a pet name for me," teased Murcielago.

This was all just too much for Ulquiorra. It was like Murcielago was a different being suddenly; almost like he was flirting with Orihime. And, 'did he just tease me?'

Orihime was too curious at this point to notice the teasing banter and when Ulquiorra moved to the side, she gasped at what she saw. Before her stood a being nearly twice the height of her; bigger than even Kenpachi. His entire body was covered in jet black fur and his chest was so massive, she could imagine a bull being crushed by him. The two horns on the top of his head reminded her of Ulquiorra's in his released form and his mouth was set in a wicked grin. But of all the features, the thing that stood out most was the eyes; the bright, glowing yellow eyes that seemed to bore into her soul.

She wasn't conscious of what she was doing as she took a step forward, Murcielago's grin dissolving as she approached him. Her hand lifted up and she took another step forward, almost toe to toe with him. Her hand continued to go up and her fingers reached out towards the black figure.

Ulquiorra was speechless as he watched the scene in front of him. Murcielago's face was drawn in a confused frown and seemed to tense up when the woman came near him. He watched her fingers inch closer and he held his own breath as he waited.

Hesitantly, Orihime brushed her fingertips over the top of Murcielago's left eye; seeming to trace an invisible eyebrow. She cupped his black face in the palm of her hand and smiled at his stunned expression.

"It's nice to meet you Murcielago. I'm Orihime Inoue," she said and took a step back.

The yellow eyes continued to stare at her and then suddenly, a loud booming laugh erupted from Murcielago; his face contorting into a huge smile as he threw back his massive head and laughed. Ulquiorra took a step forward and wedged himself between Orihime and the laughing figure, unsure of what was going on. When finally the laughter stopped, Murcielago said, "This transformation is going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it already."

'Transformation?' questioned Orihime in her head. "What does that mean?" she asked.

Ulquiorra quickly answered, "Since I am no longer an Espada, we both need to 'change' our powers to work with my new abilities. Since our swords work with our deepest internal desires, he needed to understand the changes within me and the causes."

"Oh I see," said Orihime and was interrupted by Murcielago's deep voice.

"Will you bring her back?" he asked Ulquiorra who was already trying to steer Orihime away.

"No."

"But why not? I never get visitors."

"I can see why," answered Ulquiorra, clasping Orihime's hand tightly.

"Aw, that hurts Ulqui."

Ulquiorra stopped abruptly and tensed upon hearing Orihime's term of endearment spring from Murcielago's lips. "There is no need. You've seen what you need to see. It is me you need to be analyzing, not her."

The black figure grunted and said, "Fine. It was… intriguing to meet you Ms. Inoue."

Ulquiorra concentrated on exiting the darkness but before he was able to, Murcielago said one last thing.

"Thank you Orihime for saving Ulquiorra and myself. I will never be able to repay you for what you have done for us. I will do everything in my power to make him strong enough to protect a special woman like you."

Ulquiorra paused at his heart felt words and felt Orihime turn by his side. She looked back and smiled so sweetly at Murcielago before bowing and turning back to Ulquiorra. "I'm ready to go now," she said and took his hand.

**Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. Just been really busy with work and haven't had much time. I also struggled with this a bit which is why it's so short. I'll probably update again tomorrow. **


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Orihime and Ulquiorra walked silently, hand in hand down the street after they left Urahara's shop. Ulquiorra couldn't help but worry about what Orihime would think after such a strange encounter. His mind lingered over how Orihime had been so unafraid to walk right up to Murcielago. It shouldn't have surprised him considering that she'd done basically the same thing to him when they'd first met. She'd never shown fear towards him, only a sad curiosity.

They stepped into Orihime's apartment and closed the door which seemed to be the signal for the damn to burst for Orihime who started blabbing excitedly about their confrontation. "That was so neat. Where was that place we were in? He didn't really seem very despairing."

"No, no he didn't," was Ulquiorra's only answer in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Is he usually like that?"

Ulquiorra shook his head and took a seat in the overstuffed sofa with a heavy sigh.

"Do you think he already started the transformation you talked about before we left?" she asked while taking a seat next to Ulquiorra and crossing her legs beneath her as she waited for his answer.

Ulquiorra paused to think about her question. "Possibly. It's hard to say with him. I've never brought anyone to meet him before so I've never seen him interact with anyone but myself. Though the way he acted with me while we were there wasn't much like him."

Orihime nodded in understanding and leaned her head on his shoulder. Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes while both were lost in thought before Orihime asked, "So are you going to go to school with me?"

'Where'd that come from?' he wondered. She was so random sometimes.

His confused eyes must have given him away because Orihime said, "I just wondered what you wanted to do now since, well… you're human now and umm… most humans at this point in their lives are trying to figure out what kind of job they want and stuff."

"I haven't really thought about it. I suppose you are right though. I can't live off you forever," he said and a frown crossed over his face.

"Oh no… that's not what I meant at all. I just don't want you to get bored. When I start school in a few weeks I'll be gone all day and you can stay here if you want or do whatever but I thought maybe you would like to go with me," Orihime said nervously, not wanting to sound like she was pushing him in any way.

Ulquiorra thought about it briefly and answered, "I will go with you." It had been a simple answer for Ulquiorra. Not because he wanted desperately to go to school but because he knew he wanted to be where Orihime was. The smile the woman gave him only added to the confidence in his answer.

"It will be so much fun! What do you want to study?" she asked.

"I'll study what you are studying."

"Really? But, do you know what I'm studying?"

"It doesn't matter," he replied and found himself being shaken rather roughly. Orihime was grabbing his arm and shaking him in with a frustrated look on her face. "What?" he asked in confusion.

"Stop answering what you think I want to hear," she admonished.

Ulquiorra cringed at the look on Orihime's face and the tone she was using. She was serious about this. "Umm… ok. What are the options?" he hoped this would be a satisfying response for her.

"Well there's medical stuff, law, finance, business, literature, economics…" she rambled off an enormous list and Ulquiorra felt himself going dizzy trying to keep track of them all. When she was finally done, he looked at her, completely baffled by what he should say. "I'm going to be an engineer so I can build robots!" she added with a big smile.

"Robots?" he questioned.

"Yea, you know. Big, metal, humanlike things."

When he just looked at her like she'd grown a second head, Orihime got up and grabbed a small figuring off a nearby shelf. "That's a robot except well, robots move and talk and stuff. This one just looks like one."

Ulquiorra studied the small object. It had a square head with what could be assumed were eyes and a mouth. Its body did resemble a human with its metal arms and legs. He handed it back to Orihime and said, "I like to read."

Orihime quickly placed the object back on the shelf and turned to Ulquiorra with a smile. "Maybe you can be an editor. Or… do you write?"

He shook his head and listened as Orihime continued, "Maybe you could be a literature teacher."

Ulquiorra interrupted her and asked, "What is an editor?"

"It's someone who reads unpublished books and then decides if they should be published and sold to the public."

He thought about that for a moment and said, "I will be an editor."

Orihime clapped her hands in excitement and kissed Ulquiorra quickly before she bounced away to the kitchen. "I'm so excited. That was so easy. We'll have to go to the school tomorrow and get you an application. You'll probably have to take a test. Have you ever taken a test before?"

"No, but I am aware of what they are."

Orihime nodded and started pulling out different foods to prepare for their dinner.

XxXxXxX

"So, how did you do?" Orihime asked anxiously as Ulquiorra walked out of the administration office.

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at the beauty in front of him. Orihime was wearing a bright orange sun dress that reminded him of their vacation and he instantly felt his body react. "They said they will send me the results in the mail."

"I'm sure you did great!" she said and hooked her arm around his as they started walking down the street to the bus stop. They walked on to the bus when it arrived and took two seats near the back of the bus. Thankfully it wasn't very crowded so they were able to find two together without any problem.

As the bus rolled along, Ulquiorra's eyes were captivated by the way Orihime's breasts bounced with every bump in the road. Her skirt was slightly hiked up her thigh so that the fabric rested about half way up, affording him a great view no matter which way he looked in her direction.

"When are you going to go training again with Ichigo?" Orihime asked, her question barely registering through Ulquiorra's sexually clouded thoughts.

"Tomorrow," he answered quickly and reached a hand out to lie on the exposed skin on her thigh.

Orihime sucked in a startled breath at the contact and looked nervously around the bus. Luckily there wasn't anyone in the seats on the other side of the aisle. His fingers started to move over her skin in tiny circular motions, inching up till he was sliding beneath the hem of her dress.

"Ulquiorra… what are you doing?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

"Nothing…" he said and slid his fingers further up her skirt after a rather large bump in the road.

Orihime leaned back in her seat and moaned silently when his fingers caressed the skin along the inside of her thigh. The sound of someone sneezing a few seats in front of them made her straighten and look nervously around the bus.

Ulquiorra's eyes were glued to the flesh beneath his fingers. He loved how the muscles of her leg kept clenching with every movement of his hand and how, even though she was obviously nervous about what he was doing, she kept moving her legs apart whenever his fingers ventured between her thighs.

"Don't worry. No one can see us," he whispered, leaning to Orihime's side and brushing his lips against her ear.

She was thankful she was sitting in the inside seat against the window which gave her a bit more cover than if she'd been sitting by the aisle. When his fingers rubbed against the edge of her underwear, she gasped and looked at Ulquiorra with eyes ablaze. She wanted him so badly. She could already feel a definite wetness between her legs and her body was tingling with anticipation.

The tips of his fingers ran along the center of her panties, right up the feminine slit… up and down while Orihime's hands grabbed the fake leather seat beneath her. When the bus stopped at the next stop, an elderly lady walked on and Orihime watched anxiously as the woman worked her way down the aisle. It wasn't Orihime's lucky day. The lady took the seat directly across from them and Ulquiorra quickly slid his hand from beneath her dress and back to lie across the top of her thigh. The tips of his fingers started to move once again over her skin, slowly while keeping an eye on the old woman who seemed to be absorbed in a worn book. He shifted his body so he was semi-concealing Orihime's and started to push his fingers back up her leg. When his fingers found the crux of her thighs again, he resumed what he'd been doing and teased her till she was wiggling in her seat. He slipped a finger underneath her panties and gently played with her clit, flicking the nub and sliding around in an easy circle from the wetness that was already soaking her.

He could see that they were approaching their stop so he slid his hand out from under her dress and leaned back in the seat. He raised his slick finger up to his mouth and stuck the digit inside, sucking it and then leaning over to kiss Orihime. When Orihime touched her tongue to his, she could taste herself and she grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him closer to her.

Ulquiorra broke away from their kiss and chuckled at Orihime's outraged face. "This is our stop Orihime," he said and stood up.

With slightly wobbly legs, Orihime followed him out of the bus and once outside, crossed her arms over her chest and walked briskly down the sidewalk in a huff. Ulquiorra followed at a more sedate pace with a huge grin spreading across his face. He watched her march ahead and then quickly move inside her apartment… unlocked as usual. When he walked inside, Orihime was standing at the front of the hallway that leads to her bedroom. She was facing away from him and when he shut the door, she leaned down and pulled her panties off, giving him a great view of her barely covered rear. "Can't wear these any more today," she said and moved down the hallway away from him.

He heard a door open and an instant later she was back out in the living room with a big smile on her face. 'Did she change?' he wondered.

Orihime walked over to the kitchen and started working on their dinner. She placed a few vegetables on a cutting board for Ulquiorra to cut up and started filling up a pot with water. He watched her move around the kitchen, his eyes staring mostly at her ass as he wondered if she had underwear on or not. Not long later, he gave up and walked up behind her as she leaned slightly forward to stir some creamy liquid in a boiling pot. His left hand rested on her ample hip while his right hand slid beneath her dress and started moving up the outside of her leg.

Orihime groaned at the feel of his hips pressed against her backside and then jumped when a loud knock erupted from the front door. "I wonder who that could be?" she said and skipped across the room to answer the door.

Ulquiorra cursed whoever it was who had interrupted him and a moment later he was watching Orihime hug some stranger enthusiastically.

"Tatsuki! I'm so glad you came over. You're just in time for dinner," said Orihime while leading her dark haired friend inside.

The girl stared apprehensively at Ulquiorra as she walked inside.

"Oh Tatsuki, this is Ulquiorra… my uh, boyfriend," Orihime said a bit nervously.

"Your what?!" said a slightly red faced Tatsuki.

"My boyfriend. We started dating a few days ago," Orihime said.

"Do you even know this guy? How could he be your boyfriend? I've never even seen him before."

"Uh… actually you have seen him before. You just don't recognize him," said Orihime and started biting her lip.

When Tatsuki just stared at her with angry eyes, Orihime elaborated. "He was one of the guys in the park that one day a while back." She covered her eyes to avoid seeing Tatsuki's reaction. A moment later though, she peaked between her fingers to see Ulquiorra walking up to her friend with his hand extended in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you. Orihime talks a lot about you," said Ulquiorra, surprising Orihime.

Tatsuki must have been as surprised as Orihime because she automatically held out her own hand and said, "Nice to meet you too." Her eyes followed him back around the counter till he was back in front of the vegetables, chopping away. When she finally tore her gaze away, she looked back over at Orihime and frowned.

"Orihime, I need to talk to you… in private," she said and started pulling Orihime out of the room. When they were inside Orihime's bedroom, Tatsuki said, "What is going on here?"

Rapidly, Orihime started explaining what happened and when she was finished telling everything, her best friend stare at her like she'd lost her mind. "You went on vacation with him? Are you crazy Orihime? That man tried to kill you… and me for that matter."

Orihime couldn't help but laugh since everything she said was true. She could completely understand her friends worry but had no idea how to explain it in a way that would make sense to her. "I know that it all seems really strange and I can't deny that it isn't but… I'm really happy Tatsuki. Try getting to know him. I think you'll like him too."

The dark haired girl looked at her best friend, searching her face for any hint of doubt but found nothing. With a heavy sigh, Tatsuki shook her head and turned to open the bedroom door. "Ok Orihime. I don't like it though," she said as they both walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where Ulquiorra was busy filling up 3 plates full of food.

Ulquiorra watched the two women walk back in and he noted the disapproving look that Tatsuki was giving him. 'Oh well, can I blame her?' he thought and turned his attention to Orihime who was reaching for glasses in the cupboard. Her dress rode up a few inches as she reached up on tip toe and he suddenly remembered his earlier question… 'Was she wearing anything underneath that dress?'

The three sat down for dinner and Ulquiorra sat quietly and ate as the two women chatted animatedly. When they all finished eating, Ulquiorra started clearing the table as Orihime began washing the dishes.

"I'm gonna use the bathroom. Be right back," said Tatsuki while she left the room to make her way down the hall. Ulquiorra took the opportunity to move behind Orihime as he deposited the remaining dishes into the sink. His lips nuzzled her neck as his hands caressed her hips from behind. He doesn't wait this time and moves his right hand to the bottom of her dress. His fingers slide up her shapely thigh and encounter nothing as it makes its way up to her waist.

The sound of the door opening down the hall makes Ulquiorra back away quickly and Orihime turns her head to look at him with a deep blush spreading across her face but also a wicked grin.

"So what are you guys doing tomorrow?" asked Tatsuki once she was back in the room.

"Umm… I don't know. We don't really have plans. O wait, Ulquiorra has plans in the afternoon," said Orihime as she finished cleaning off the last dish and placed it in the strainer beside the sink.

"Do you wanna go out to lunch with me then while he's busy?"

"Sure! That sounds like fun," said Orihime, genuinely excited.

"Ok, good. I'll meet you here tomorrow then at noon. I'm gonna head out. Cya tomorrow!" said Tatsuki who quickly opened the front door and exited.

An instant later, Ulquiorra was on Orihime, wrapping his arms around Orihime's waist and pressing his front to her back. "Ulquiorra… what are you doing?" giggled Orihime.

"Mmm… nothing," answered Ulquiorra while placing small kisses to the side of Orihime's neck. His hands started to travel down her hips and grasped the hem of her dress. There was no hesitation as his fingers slid up her thigh and started caressing the folds between her legs. Orihime let her head fall back against his shoulder as his fingers sent waves of intense pleasure through her body. She felt incredibly wanton as she stood there, her legs parting slightly to allow him better access. "I've wanted you all afternoon Orihime. Can I have you?" he asked, his request sending liquid fire through Orihime's veins.

"Y… yes," answered Orihime who was immediately swept off her feet and deposited on the nearby sofa. Ulquiorra knelt in front of the sofa and pulled Orihime's body towards him, bringing her body to the edge of the sofa and devouring her lips with his own. His hands moved to her rear and held her as his own hips started grinding against her. Orihime made quick work of his zipper and reached a hand inside to grasp his hard length and pull it outside. When Ulquiorra's hand moved around and slid down her womanhood, he was astounded by how wet and ready she was.

Hastily, he positioned himself against her opening and pushed himself inside, holding back nothing as he filled her with himself. Orihime's cry of pleasure tore through the apartment and her neck arched back as he thrust himself again inside her. His hips started a relentless rhythm, in and out… in and out which rapidly brought Orihime to the pinnacle she craved. As always, the sight of Orihime riding the waves of her orgasm made Ulquiorra's own body tighten and he too, soon found his own release, crashing his hips forward one last time as he seated himself deeply inside Orihime.

Orihime clung to Ulquiorra's body and said between large intakes of breath, "I should go… without wearing… underwear… more often."

Ulquiorra groaned against her neck and started to wonder, 'Would she really do that?'


	24. Chapter 24

**I know I've been really slow (compared to my usual) lately with updating. I've just been so busy at work and I used to have time to day dream a bit while working and I would think about what I would write at the end of the day but I haven't been able to do that. Plus I'm not getting home till late so… takes me several days now to write anything. Sorry guys. Hopefully things will slow down soon.**

**Chapter 24**

"What do you fight for now?" asked Murcielago in his deep, dark voice.

"I fight to get stronger," was Ulquiorra's immediate response, sucking in quick breaths as he gripped his sword tightly, ready for the next attack.

"You will never advance at this rate Ulqui," Murcielago said. He'd used his pet name ever since Orihime had visited him with Ulquiorra several months ago. It still made Ulquiorra's blood boil.

"That answer might have worked before but it's not enough now. I know you Ulqui… I'm a part of you. Something deeper drives you. Find it," urged Murcielago, not relenting as he attacked Ulquiorra viciously.

They slashed back and forth, neither giving an inch as they pounded on each other. Nearly every day Ulquiorra practiced, pushing himself to his limit every time. He quickly learned his new powers and how to fight with them instead of his old ones. Ichigo accompanied him almost every day, warming up together and then going their separate ways to battle it out with their inner swords.

A strange friendship had developed between them; mostly due to the amount of time they'd been forced to spend together. After receiving his grades, Ulquiorra had found himself in nearly all the same classes as Ichigo since they both had to take the pre-requisite courses which Orihime had already taken her last year of high school. Ulquiorra came to admire Ichigo's straightforward approach to everything. It was always easy to figure out where you stood with him. He knew it wasn't much different with himself, though he wasn't always quite as forthcoming as Ichigo. He always spoke honestly about his feelings and opinions when asked which didn't always win him points with some humans.

Ulquiorra drove forward with a large swipe of his sword, pushing Murcielago back till he was pressed against the stone wall. "That's it Ulqui… tell me how this feels? What drives your anger?"

"To beat you," he answered and fell back when Murcielago kicked him in the stomach.

"Since when are you so shallow? Think deeper. Feel deeper. You do not deserve this new life you've been given. I can bring you to such incredible heights of power but you won't listen."

Ulquiorra felt himself start to tremble with rage. He'd been in here nearly every day, fighting with him non-stop. He didn't know what answer he was looking for. He dug deep every time they fought but it just wasn't enough. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't satisfy Murcielago.

"Enough!" yelled Murcielago, sheathing his sword and turning his back on Ulquiorra. "Don't bother coming back till you bring back the woman."

"I'm not bringing her back," Ulquiorra responded coldly, sheathing his own sword.

"Then don't come back," the deep voice growled.

Ulquiorra stormed out of the black world and walked back into the rocky basement. Ichigo was there, sitting peacefully with his sword laid across his lap. They usually walked together till their roads split to their own houses but today he didn't want to. He was in a foul mood now and didn't want to talk about it with him but he also didn't want to go home either. Orihime had left the morning before for some school club trip thing and she wouldn't be back for another two days. He missed her way more than he'd ever thought possible and the thought of going back home to that quiet apartment made him sit and wait for Ichigo to finish.

As he waited, he brooded over the conversation between himself and the black demon. The thought of bringing Orihime back in there made his whole body quake with a frightening emotion. 'No way… I'll figure this out on my own,' he thought and continued his brooding. What did Murcielago want? It had been so easy before to learn his resurrections. He'd been completely at one with his sword. He'd understood Murcielago and Murcielago had understood him. Now though… now everything was different. He didn't know what answer he was looking for.

"Hey, Ulquiorra… snap out of it," said Ichigo who was standing in front of a spaced out Ulquiorra.

"Let's go," said Ulquiorra, not hiding his aggravation as he stood up and walked beside the orange haired shinigami as they left the basement and shop.

"What's up with you? Every time we leave here lately you're in a bad mood," said Ichigo as they made their way down the street.

Ulquiorra shrugged and stared at the concrete in front of them. How could he tell Ichigo, who seemed to be completely at ease with his powers and his relationship with his sword, that he couldn't seem to improve?

'Maybe that's exactly why you should talk to him about it,' a part of him muttered but he ignored it. Instead he just said, "Murcielago is not a very friendly creature."

Ichigo grunted to acknowledge his statement and after a few silent moments asked, "Would you mind coming over for a bit? I want to go over that assignment that's due on

Monday.

…Actually, my dad is off tonight. Could I come over your place?"

Ulquiorra responded, "Yea," and silently said thank you since he didn't want to be alone this evening anyway. The silence drove him crazy in the apartment. Everywhere he looked he expected to see Orihime but she wasn't there. At least Ichigo would be able to somewhat keep his thoughts from the depressing path they'd been on since she left.

They walked in silence to Ichigo's house where he quickly ran inside to grab his books and left. When they got to Ulquiorra and Orihime's apartment, Ichigo collapsed on the sofa and started pulling out his textbooks from his bag. Ulquiorra opened the refrigerator and started pouring himself a drink before remembering that it was polite to ask company if they wanted something as well.

"Did you want something to drink?" he asked; the pitcher of water hovering mid-air.

"Yea sure. Do you have anything to eat? I'm starving," Ichigo asked and pushed himself up.

Ulquiorra's stomach started to growl at the mention of food and soon, both men were scavenging the kitchen for food. They ended up with bowls of cereal and a box of crackers which they shared as they sat down to work on their assignment.

A bit later, Ichigo asked, "So when does Orihime get back?"

"Sunday," responded Ulquiorra whose entire body slouched at the thought of two whole more days without her.

"What are you doing tomorrow then?"

Ulquiorra shrugged and turned a page in his notebook.

"You should come with us tomorrow. We're going to this arcade place. It's supposed to be for families; kids and adults. You'd save me from my father," said Ichigo.

"What's an arcade?" asked Ulquiorra.

"It's just a place that has a lot of video games and stuff like that. It's pretty fun."

Ulquiorra quickly nodded his head and said, "Yea, ok." He certainly had nothing else to do and once again, it would help to keep his mind off the woman.

"Cool. We'll probably leave around 11:30. Can you come to my house then?" Ichigo asked as he started packing up his books.

"Sure," answered Ulquiorra, getting slightly depressed that night was rapidly approaching.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night," said Ichigo as he walked out the door and closed it behind him.

Ulquiorra stared at the bare room, his thoughts instantly turning sour. 'God I miss Orihime,' he thought and put his books away. He washed the few dishes they had used and threw the empty cracker box away. He looked at the clock and it said 8:45pm; too early for him to go to bed. The thought of another restless night made him cringe. 'Movie?' he thought and made his way over to the small TV. He searched through the piles of DVD's that Orihime owned and frowned at the selection. The woman had such strange taste. He picked out one and popped it inside the machine.

As hard as he tried, he just couldn't concentrate on the movie and he found himself day dreaming about when Orihime had first kissed him. It had been such an amazing moment. He still couldn't figure out what she saw in him. Her lips had been so soft and wonderful. He remembered how his body had reacted to the contact and how every time since then he'd reacted the same. It didn't seem like it was ever going to change. She could make him aroused with just one glance.

'I wonder what she's doing?' he thought and jumped when the phone rang. He still wasn't used to the tiny object. Orihime had made him get it a few weeks ago saying something about it not being safe to not have one in case something happened. 'That's completely ridiculous,' he had thought but as always, Orihime won out in the end and now he owned a cell phone.

"Hello?" he said, holding the silver phone to his ear.

"Ulqui! How are you? I miss you so much!" cried Orihime into the phone.

Ulquiorra felt himself beginning to smile and answered, "I'm fine. How are you Orihime?"

"I'm good. We did really well today. Tomorrow we find out how we placed. What did you do today?" she asked.

"Normal stuff; class, practice… Ichigo came over for a little while so we could do homework together. Nothing exciting."

"Oh good. How's Murcielago?" she asked.

Ulquiorra felt his thoughts darken and answered, "He's fine." He didn't want to mention that Murcielago had requested her company.

"Well… that's good," she said, hesitating at the tone in his voice. "Are you doing anything this weekend while I'm gone?"

"Ichigo invited me to go with his family to something called an arcade. I said I would go."

Orihime smiled behind the phone. She was so happy with the friendship that had grown between Ulquiorra and Ichigo. Sometimes, when Ichigo would come over to visit, Orihime would just sit back and watch the two of them converse. It always fascinated her to watch Ulquiorra talk to other people. She didn't know why. Mostly she just liked listening to his voice. It was easier to concentrate on when she wasn't the focus of attention.

She'd gradually noticed the bond that seemed to form between the two of them after the whole Nnoitra incident. As much as she hated to think about that time, she loved the result of it. Their almost daily training routine had seemed to also push them closer together. She'd been a little bit jealous when she'd seen the number of classes Ichigo had with her boyfriend since she only had one class with him but she was still happy that Ulquiorra had someone else to talk to.

"That's great," she said and continued. "My bus leaves Sunday in the morning. It's only a five hour drive so I should be home around one. I can't wait to see you. I've really missed you."

Ulquiorra felt his chest swell up and he said shyly, "I've missed you too Orihime." He felt silly saying such things but it was the truth. All he could think about was her.

"Well uh, I better get going," she said. "I have to get up early tomorrow for another presentation before the awards ceremony. I hope you have a good time tomorrow."

Ulquiorra didn't want her to go. He wanted to crawl through the phone and throw his arms around her. To feel her soft body against his would be heaven. "Ok. Good luck," he said instead of what he really wanted to say.

"I love you Ulqui," said Orihime, her sweet voice sending warm through his veins.

"I love you too Orihime," he answered and waited for her to hang up.

… "Ulqui?" said Orihime quietly.

"Yea?" he answered just as quietly.

"You didn't hang up," she giggled.

"You didn't either," he answered.

Orihime laughed again and said, "I just miss you so much. I don't want to hang up."

Ulquiorra smiled to himself and said, "I miss you a lot too Orihime."

Silence overcame the line while both were reluctant to end the connection. Finally Ulquiorra said, "You need to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow. I hope you do well. Have a good night Onna."

"Good night Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra quickly turned off the phone and stared at the ground in front of him. As much as he loved talking to her, it almost made it worse afterwards. He missed her even more now. He resolved to find out more about this group she was in. 'Maybe I should join it too,' he thought and started walking towards Orihimes… his bedroom.

When he lay down, his thoughts inevitably wandered to the woman. He missed her warmth beside him on the bed. He missed how she would smile at him when she turned to look at him. He missed her tiny hands clinging to him in her sleep. 'It's going to be another long night,' he thought as he lay on the bed, staring at the back of his eyelids.

**Bit of a short one again. I thought it was a good place to end it though. **


	25. Chapter 25

**Holy flippin' crap! Is Bleach ever going to go back to Ichigo?! I'm dying here reading these issues. Grumble grumble…**

**Chapter 25**

"How did I lose to someone who's never even played before?" moaned Ichigo as he and Ulquiorra walked away from the air hockey table.

Ulquiorra had to admit, he'd enjoyed the game. He'd also enjoyed beating his orange haired friend. The afternoon had turned out to be much more entertaining than he'd thought it would be and he was thankful for the distraction. Unfortunately though, it was still only early evening which meant he had lots more time to kill before another torturous night.

XxXxXxX

"Cya in class," hollered Ichigo after they dropped Ulquiorra off in front of his place.

Ulquiorra waved and unlocked the front door. His eyes scanned the empty apartment, looking for something he knew wouldn't be there. He didn't feel like eating so he sat down on the lonely sofa and stared blankly at the carpet. 'What the heck am I going to do?' he wondered. Orihime always had something for them to do and if she didn't, just being with her was enough to satisfy him. When had he become so dependent on her? He used to be able to entertain himself without any difficulties.

'Maybe I should try reading,' he thought and got up to look at Orihime's selection of books. Nothing caught his interest so instead he picked up his school bag and pulled out some books. 'Might as well get ahead,' he said to himself and flipped open a large blue economics book.

XxXxXxx

Later that night he lay in bed and tried fruitlessly to clear his thoughts. He couldn't help the slight bit of excitement that crept over him knowing that Orihime would be back the next day. He remembered her saying that her bus should arrive around one o'clock so he planned on being there when she arrived.

XxXxXxX

'Finally… 12:30,' said Ulquiorra to himself as he got up from the chair he'd been reading in and exited the apartment. The key clicked as he locked the front door and he turned to start heading down the sidewalk when suddenly a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him and squeezed him so tight he could barely breathe.

When he looked down, Orihime was clinging to him and he wiggled his arms from her embrace so that he could hold her back.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back till one," said Ulquiorra, his arms pressing her close.

Orihime turned her face up to his and smiled hugely as she answered, "We got in a little bit early. Where were you going?"

"I was going to meet you at the school," he answered. He wasn't sure why but that answer seemed to please the woman because the next instant her lips were on his and her arms were moving from around his back to around his neck. Her tongue quickly sought entrance to his mouth and soon they were devouring each other as they stood in front of their apartment.

Ulquiorra fumbled with the door knob, their lips never breaking apart until he growled in frustration and grabbed the keys out of his pocket. He made quick work of the lock and a moment later they were slamming the door shut behind them and Orihime's bag was thrown to the floor.

"I… missed… you… so much," mumbled Orihime between kisses.

Ulquiorra groaned and deepened the kiss. His hands moved over her body, relearning every curve and sliding his fingers beneath her shirt.

Orihime's hands were sifting through his hair, grabbing fistfuls as they stumbled across the room to the couch. Her shirt was the first thing to go, followed soon by Ulquiorra's shirt.

Orihime sat down on the couch, not releasing Ulquiorra's lips as he knelt in front of her. She parted her legs to bring him closer, her center resting intimately against his hips. Their tongues battled, each sucking in quick breaths as they tried to devour each other. Ulquiorra's wandering fingers found the clasp behind Orihime's back and quickly unhooked it, removing her bra and pressing his bare chest against hers.

Orihime's hands slid down Ulquiorra's stomach, moaning at the feel of his hard body beneath her hands. When her fingers came upon the bottom of his pants, she undid them and pushed the fabric down till his pants rested around his knees. She could feel his hard length pressing against her and she wanted to feel it in her hands but Ulquiorra was already working on the buttons of her own pants and she had to stand up to allow him to pull them down. Her underwear went with her pants and they landed in a messy pile beside them.

"I want you so bad," breathed Ulquiorra huskily as he grinded his hips into Orihime's now naked flesh.

His unrestrained words made her blood boil and she reached her hand down and grasped his erection, sliding her fingers under his briefs. She wanted him inside her. Her body was obviously ready when she felt Ulquiorra's finger slide easily over her clit.

"Do it Ulqui… please," Orihime begged and nearly ripped his underwear down his legs.

An instant later, Ulquiorra reared back and thrust himself inside Orihime. They both moaned loudly at the feeling and Orihime's head rolled back as she absorbed the feeling of him deep inside her. Their bodies moved together, hands still searching each other hungrily as their hips grinded erotically. Ulquiorra's mouth searched out hers and tongues collided, battling as fiercely as their hips.

Ulquiorra could feel his release coming, the mounting frenzy inside him driving his hips to move faster, in and out, in and… "Oh God," he moaned when Orihime whimpered and dug her nails into his back after he'd hit the spot inside her that drove her nuts. He loved her reactions. It was so sexy listening to her. He watched her suck in three quick, shuttering breaths and then her eyes nearly rolled back inside her head as her entire body tightened and the muscles surrounding his arousal clenched. He let his orgasm take over him, thrusting one last time and seating himself deeply inside her as he shot his seed.

"Wow," was all Orihime could say a minute later as they rested against each other, their bodies heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

Ulquiorra couldn't have put it any better as he knelt in front of her. His fingers made a leisurely trail up and down her spine, glorying in being able to touch her again. He'd missed her so much. All he wanted to do at the moment was hold her and enjoy the feeling of her being near him. He groaned when Orihime pulled away but she only moved to lye down on the couch and rolled over till there was enough room for him to join her. His arms immediately surrounded her as he pressed his chest against her back, nuzzling the back of her neck while pressing tiny kisses to her skin.

"I love you," whispered Orihime.

"I love you too," he answered and tightened his hold on her.

A few minutes later, Orihime said in a soft voice, "Did you have fun while I was gone?"

Ulquiorra shook his head and mumbled, "No."

A hint of concern entered Orihime's voice as she further asked, "Why not? I thought you spent time with Ichigo."

"Yea I did but… it only distracted me slightly."

"Distracted you from what? Are you still upset with Murcielago?"

He shook his head again and said, "Well yes but that's not what he distracted me from. It was… hard, being without you."

Orihime's entire stomach flooded pleasantly with warmth. "It was hard for me too. I missed you even more than I thought I would."

Ulquiorra placed a line of kisses over Orihime's shoulder, tightening the hold his arms had on her. "I beat Ichigo in air hockey."

Orihime laughed and turned around in his arms. "Did you rub it in?" she asked with a large smile spreading across her face.

He shook his head and then leaned his forehead against hers.

"I'll have to make fun of him for you then next time I see him," she said and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I talked to my aunt last night. She wants us to visit her in a few weeks. She wants to meet you."

"Why?" he asked.

"Well, I've never had a boyfriend before so she wants to meet you. Plus it's been a while since I've seen her."

Ulquiorra nodded his head and said, "Ok. Whatever you want Orihime."

Orihime smiled wickedly and said, "Anything I want?"

A slight smile played upon Ulquiorra's lips as he answered, "Yes, anything."

Orihime's lips pressed against his an instant later and they both moaned softly as their tongues met. They slowly caressed each other's mouths with their tongues, losing themselves in the sensual kiss. When they broke apart, they rested their foreheads together again and snuggled closer.

"Did you have any plans tonight?" Orihime asked.

"No."

"Good. I want you all to myself," she said with a grin.

Ulquiorra kissed her lips firmly and let his hand wander down her back to cup her rounded rear. The kiss deepened and soon they were both breathing heavy, hands becoming more desperate as they searched the others body.

No words were needed as they slowly made love, emotions running wild in both of their bodies. They couldn't get enough of each other, never wanting to end their caresses but soon they both found their bodies climbing the slope that would lead them to orgasm and clung to each other as they fell over the edge.

The rest of the day went by quietly. Most of their time was spent in each others arms as they watched movies or simply just lay down and enjoyed holding each other.

Ulquiorra gave up trying to make sense of all the feelings running around inside of him. He remembered a time when he'd thought that happiness was nothingness. That having nothing to lose was the ultimate in contentment. He couldn't have been more wrong.

Now, he couldn't imagine a life without this woman. She'd made him see beyond the surface of things; taught him how to look deeper within himself and others. Not only did she teach him about love and kindness but he'd also learned friendship and trust from her. He was slowly starting to realize some of those things in his relationship with Ichigo. Strange as it was for him to think about, he did trust Ichigo. The boy had proven time and again, even when he had been his enemy, that he was one to be counted on.

It was hard to believe that so much had changed in just a few short months. He'd spent years wandering Hueco Mundo, so much time that he'd forgotten what it was like to converse with people. The cold dessert sands were no place to make friends and trusting someone was the ultimate sin. To be able to do so now was still alarming at times but mostly he accepted it. The woman made it easy to care about life. He had a purpose now which he'd never had before.

Something clicked in his head at that thought. 'Purpose,' he repeated over and over again to himself as he leisurely ran his fingers over the top of Orihime's thigh. She was busy cutting out various pictures and pasting them to an album while Ulquiorra sat beside her, cutting a few pieces when asked but mostly just watching her work; her tongue poking out whenever she started cutting a piece. They were all the pictures from their trip to NY, most of which were regrettably of himself.

'Purpose…,' he couldn't get that word out of his head. Yes, he had a purpose now to life. He wanted to experience life. He wanted to experience friendship, being able to trust someone other than himself. He wanted to experience love, the kind of love that he now shared with Orihime but for much longer; a lifetime longer.

Orihime turned her head to him with a smile and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Ulquiorra leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her lips before answering, "Nothing. I'm just glad you're back."

The next morning as they walked to class, Orihime asked as she slung her bag over her shoulder, "Are you going to Urahara's today after class?"

Ulquiorra sighed and answered, "Yea." He wasn't looking forward to it. He remembered what Murcielago had said before he'd left last time but he wasn't about to bring Orihime with him. She was the one person he wanted as far away from Murcielago as possible.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her face filled with a look of concern as she watched Ulquiorra's whole body tense up.

"I'm just not looking forward to it is all."

Orihime nodded and stared ahead as they neared the University. As they neared the entrance where they would have to say good bye, Orihime said, "I think I'll go too."

Ulquiorra's head turned quickly and stared at Orihime in horror.

"I… I need to practice. It's been almost a week since I've trained at all." It wasn't a lie. She really did need to practice a bit but there was another reason she wanted to go. It bothered her to see Ulquiorra so upset and she'd been working out a way to help him for a couple weeks now. She just hoped it worked.

Orihime stood up on tiptoe and kissed Ulquiorra lightly on the lips. "I'll see you after class?" she asked.

Ulquiorra nodded and watched the woman turn and walk down the hallway.

"Hey Ulquiorra," said a familiar voice from behind.

He turned and replied, "Hey Ichigo." They walked together to their first class and took a seat beside each other at one of the large desks. The teacher wasn't there yet so Ulquiorra asked, "Are you going to Urahara's after class?"

Ichigo nodded as he pulled a large book out of his bag.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked, Ichigo's eyes lifting to his with a startled expression.

"Yea, sure."

"Orihime is joining us this afternoon and I think she's up to something. Can you just make sure she doesn't try to touch my sword while I'm with Murcielago?"

"Yea, no problem," Ichigo answered just before the professor walked into the classroom, shutting the door behind him.

Ulquiorra watched Orihime walk across the rocky basement to her own secluded spot in the corner while he unsheathed his sword and readied himself to defend Ichigo's coming attack. They battled till they were both sweating and breathing heavily then Ichigo walked over to where Orihime was practicing, leaving Ulquiorra to enter Murcielago's world.

"Wanna practice together while Ulquiorra does his thing?" Ichigo asked a panting Orihime who had just destroyed a boulder with Tsubaki.

She nodded her head and gave him a weak smile as her eyes darted to Ulquiorra's seated form across the room. She knew she wasn't going to have much time to attempt what she planned so she straightened her back and stood waiting for Ichigo to attack. He came at her, sword raised above his head and she quickly threw up a weak shield and jumped to the side. His next attack came and she yelled, "Shiten Koshun!" then jumped quickly behind him and repeated the two words.

Ichigo was now encased inside Orihime's two most powerful shields, a spell she knew that Ichigo had never seen her use before. Without looking back, Orihime ran to Ulquiorra and practically dove down to the ground beside him. She placed her hand on his sword and closed her eyes, willing herself inside before Ichigo broke free from her barrier.

A moment later, the vaguely familiar blackness started to encroach on the edges of her vision as she watched Ichigo burst through the shield and dash towards her. He was too late though, she was already gone.

Ichigo stood in front of the pair, stunned by what had just happened. He knew it was hopeless now to stop her, there was no way to break the connection once someone was inside.

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra walked inside the dark cave, waiting to hear the deep voice tell him to leave. He didn't know how he was going to convince Murcielago to come out. The way their last session had ended made him cautious as he walked further into the darkness. Finally, the familiar voice spoke.

"I do not see the woman."

"I told you I would not bring her," Ulquiorra answered, taking another step forward toward the voice.

"Then I will not help you."

Ulquiorra sighed and said, "Why? Why do you want to see her so bad?" His voice became angry as he asked.

"If you don't know, then you don't deserve to understand."

"Make me understand!" he yelled.

Silence answered his demand and he stared angrily at the void in front of him. His entire body seethed as he stood there, mind racing as he tried to think of a way to draw him out. Finally something caught his attention. A pale figure stood in the distance, black arms encompassing the slight form. He took a step closer and gasped when he realized what he was looking at. His entire body shook with rage and an instant later he was racing forward, sword at the ready.

"Orihime!" he yelled.

His sword connected with Murcielago's as the black figure jumped between himself and Orihime. He stared into the bright yellow eyes as their swords struggled between them.

"Let her go!" he yelled, pushing with everything inside him.

"Why should I?" asked Murcielago.

"Because…" he started to answer stumbled over the words he wanted to say.

"Because what…"

"Ulquiorra, I'm…" Orihime began to say and was interrupted when a large black hand covered her mouth.

Murcielago placed his sword against Orihime's straining neck and took a step back. "Tell me what I want to hear."

"You're crazy! Let her go! She has nothing to do with this."

"You don't deserve her!" the black beast hollered, his grip around Orihime tightening.

Ulquiorra stared at the horror scene in front of him. The woman he loved was captured by his despair. His biggest fear was happening and he was helpless. He didn't know what Murcielago was looking for. He didn't care what Murcielago was looking for. All he wanted was Orihime to be safe. She was his life. Without her, there would be nothing. He would return to the nothingness that had ruled his life before meeting her.

His knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor, his sword falling with a pang in front of him. He hung his head in defeat and fisted his hands in the dirt below. "Do whatever you want with me. Destroy our bond. Take away my powers. Just don't hurt her."

"Why?" Murcielago asked simply, his arms still clutching Orihime against him.

"Because, she is life. She is everything. Without her, life has no purpose."

"Purpose huh…" the deep voice said and slowly his black sword began to lower.

Ulquiorra hesitantly lifted his eyes and watched Murcielago continue. "And what 'purpose' do I serve?"

Orihime's bright silver eyes stared at him with so much love concealed within that he answered without thought and without taking his eyes from hers, "To defend and protect what I love above myself."

"Finally!" cried out Murcielago as he released his sword and hugged Orihime, enfolding her in blackness.

Ulquiorra growled with rage and pried Murcielago's arms off of Orihime. He tugged her away from him and stepped back as the black creature started to laugh, his head thrown back and his arms crossing in front of his chest.

"Took you long enough."

The pair stood together, holding hands as they watched Murcielago abruptly stop laughing and clench his hands at his sides; his body growing taught and eyes closing tightly in pain. Ulquiorra positioned his body between Orihime and Murcielago, his sword ready. Murcielago fell to his knees, crying out in agony as his entire body began to quake. The scream that erupted from his lips made the loose stones in the cave rattle on the floor. His clawed hands began to dig at the floor, scraping against the dirt and stone, creating jagged lines to be etched into the hard surface.

They could hear his ragged breathing as they watched the body in front of them writhe in agony. Orihime placed her shield up in front of them just before Murcielago's body seemed to explode from within. His entire black form was engulfed in bright orange and green flames and he lifted his head to look at them while his body continued to burn. The bright yellow eyes widened as the flames slowly withdrew, leaving just a thin layer of green flame to continue to burn across his entire body.

Murcielago lifted himself up, his body adjusting to the new form. Orihime and Ulquiorra stood silently, stunned by what they were witnessing as the now flaming green form in front of them began to assess his body.

"Green? Who ever heard of green flames?" said Murcielago.

Orihime broke her silence and started to giggle. "I happen to like green," she said and stepped around Ulquiorra to face Murcielago.

"Yea well, that figures," he said and stooped down to pick up his sword from the floor. "Ulqui… stop staring at me like that. Have you not figured it out yet?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened and he opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"I have to explain everything," groaned Murcielago and then continued. "You finally figured out what you fight for. I needed to transform to be able to adapt to your new form but I needed to know what you wanted most before I could. Now, we can progress finally."

Ulquiorra listened to his words and then his entire body sagged with relief. He watched Orihime take a few steps forward and reach a hand out towards Murcielago. A look of fear passed over the glowing green form as her hand inched towards his flaming chest but it dissolved when her fingers passed through unharmed and suddenly her arms were wrapping around his neck, giving him a huge hug.

A twinge of jealousy passed through Ulquiorra as he watched but it was quickly erased when Orihime backed up and placed her hand back in his. "Thank you Murcielago," she said and smiled.

"No Orihime, thank you."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Ulquiorra stared at his reflection nervously in the bathroom mirror. It was his and Orihime's one year anniversary and Orihime wanted to go out to some fancy restaurant. She'd even gone so far as to make him get ready over at Ichigo's house so that he could come and pick her up at her place like a real date. She'd been hinting for weeks that it was going to soon be their anniversary. He didn't understand what the significance was. In his mind, every day was special with her but she seemed to care about it so he made an effort.

She'd told him that he needed to dress up but that was all she'd say. He was used to her picking out stuff for him to wear so he was completely clueless about what was appropriate. He'd finally broken down the day before and grudgingly asked Ichigo what he was supposed to dress in. Ichigo had been surprisingly helpful, going so far as to lend him some of his own clothes. The charcoal dress pants were a bit long on him since Ichigo was about two inches taller but he was able to fold the hem under to adjust them. He'd also lent him a matching blazer which fit surprisingly well. The white button up shirt was something he already owned and he decided against wearing a tie, not wanting to be completely uncomfortable all night.

He glanced at himself one last time before stepping out of the bathroom and across the hall to Ichigo's bedroom. The pair sitting on the bed looked up in unison as he entered and both regarded him approvingly.

"What about your hair?" asked Rukia who was staying the weekend with Ichigo.

Ulquiorra shrugged his answer. He had no clue what he was supposed to do with his hair. It just laid the same way every day. He didn't care.

"You'd probably look silly if we tried anything else. Just keep it that way," she said in answer to her own question.

"Make sure you unbutton the coat when you sit down," added Ichigo. "I don't want you popping any of the buttons on my jacket."

Ulquiorra thanked the pair for their help and exited the bedroom. When he was just about to open the front door to leave the house, Yuzu ran up behind him and said, "Wait, give this to her." She held out a single pink rose and blushed when she gave it to him.

Ulquiorra looked at the small girl and thanked her. 'Was it normal to kill a flower and give it to a girl when you go on a date?' he wondered as he shut the door behind him and started walking down the street towards Orihime… and his place. A little more than six months ago Ulquiorra had found a part time job working at a publishing company. He'd insisted on helping Orihime out with the bills plus he'd wanted to start saving some money of his own.

Orihime had also started working part time at a bakery near their house. Their schedules worked out well since Ulquiorra's job finished at 5pm every day and although Orihime's bakery was open till 7pm, on those days he went and practiced with Ichigo who was also working part time at his father's clinic.

He liked working. He didn't always enjoy the work itself but he liked getting a pay check and being able to help Orihime. The people were nice enough but he mostly just went about doing his job and didn't involve himself with any office chatter. He mostly did a lot of filing and organizing but on rare occasions he was given a paper to read and review. He enjoyed those duties immensely.

He approached the door to their apartment and felt silly knocking when he had the key in his pocket but she had requested he do so so there he stood, rose in hand as he knocked on the heavy wood door. It didn't take more than three seconds before Orihime was pulling the door open and smiling widely up at him. She was stunning. Her dress was a deep blue color that clung to every sensual curve of her body. It wasn't tight or revealing but the silky material draped perfectly over her body. There were no fancy embellishments, there was no need; the material itself shined hypnotically in the moonlight. The skirt fell to mid thigh and she wore a pair of strappy silver high heels to complete the outfit.

Her hair was loose down her back but slightly curlier than usual and her hair pins were clipped to her tiny purse which she held in her hand as she stood in front of Ulquiorra. Whenever he looked at her he thought she was beautiful but tonight there was something magical in her eyes. She looked extremely excited and he hoped he didn't ruin it. He always got nervous when they did things like this; things that were normal human activities but came difficultly to him.

"Is that for me?" Orihime asked, interrupting his line of thought.

He looked down in the direction her eyes were facing and noticed the flower in his hand. He'd forgotten already. 'One stupid mistake down,' he thought as he handed the rose over to her. She lifted it to her nose and took a deep breath, smiling as she did so and leaning forward to give him a kiss.

"Thank you," she said. She took his hand and they started walking down the street to hail a cab. "You look great."

Ulquiorra could kick himself for not being the first to say that to her. He'd meant to, really he had but he'd forgotten to say the words aloud. "I uh… meant to say that to you earlier," he tried to explain but felt stupid for it. 'Stupid mistake number two.'

"Thanks!" she replied bubbly, seeming not to care that he'd forgotten. They found a cab and started heading towards downtown Karakura. It wasn't long before they were stopped in front of the tall building and exiting the cab. He paid and then followed Orihime who nearly skipped inside the large glass doors which were opened up by two men dressed in black and white suits with white gloves on.

"This is so exciting!" she squealed as they stepped inside the empty elevator to make their way up to the top floor. Ulquiorra wasn't feeling quite the same amount of excitement but it made him happy that she seemed to be happy.

When the elevator stopped, they stepped into a dimly lit room with a lady dressed impeccably standing behind a black podium. She greeted the two of them and Orihime said, "We have a reservation under Inoue."

The lady scanned the list in front of her and then turned her head up with a smile, "Right this way." They followed the woman past a modern looking bar and then weaved through a few tables before seating them near a large window that over looked the city.

Orihime stared across the table at Ulquiorra and felt her mouth go dry. He looked amazing in the dark suit. The cut of the jacket showed his broad shoulders to advantage and the crisp white shirt was surprisingly flattering against his pale skin. She tried to focus on the menu in front of her and browsed through till she found exactly what she wanted.

"Happy Anniversary," Ulquiorra said shyly, feeling nervous though he had no idea why.

"Happy Anniversary," she replied and the smile that hadn't left her face since the moment she'd opened the door, widened.

The waiter arrived then and Orihime ordered for both of them, something she was used to now since she did it every single time they ate out. Her attention was diverted when she noticed a young man, maybe a few years older than her, getting down on one knee and proposing to who she assumed was his girlfriend. The girl seemed surprised and extremely happy and Orihime couldn't help but smile at the happy couple as she watched the guy slide the ring on to her finger.

"What was that?" asked Ulquiorra when Orihime turned her attention back to him.

"He just proposed to her," she answered and took a sip of her wine.

"What does proposed mean?"

"It's when two people are in love and, in most cases, the man asks the woman if she will marry him," she answered and further explained. "Usually the man buys the girl a ring and when she accepts, he puts the ring on her."

Ulquiorra thought about what she said for a few moments and then asked, "What does it mean to marry?"

"Well, to get married means that you will be together for the rest of your lives."

"Why would you be with someone you didn't want to be with forever?" he asked and Orihime giggled at his question.

"Most people date for a while before they fall in love."

The food arrived then and they both turned their attention to the dishes in front of them. While they eat in silence, Ulquiorra thinks about what Orihime had told him. He loved Orihime and he knew she loved him. He wanted to be with her forever, couldn't imagine not being with her. So why weren't they married? He pondered the question through the rest of the meal and decided to ask Ichigo and Rukia tomorrow when they met up for practice.

"So how was work?" Orihime asked since they hadn't seen each other since the morning.

"It was fine. Kind of quiet since a lot of people are taking vacation now that the summer is here," he answered.

"Do you still have to go to Soul Society next weekend?"

Ulquiorra nodded his head and sighed. He'd already had several meetings with the captain commander and each one had left him feeling uncomfortable and irritable. He was thankful that most of the time his meeting was in conjunction with Ichigo's so he wasn't completely alone and Orihime was always waiting for him afterwards.

"I haven't seen Rangiku-san in so long. It will be great to see her again," said Orihime in between mouthfuls of oozing chocolate cake. "I bet she would love this," she added and pointed to the cake with her fork.

When the waiter came with their check, Orihime ordered another piece of cake to go and soon they were leaving the restaurant. Though it was summer, the nights were still cool and Orihime shivered as the breeze blew against her bare skin. Ulquiorra quickly wrapped his coat around her shoulders; not bothering to offer before he did so because he knew she would only refuse thinking that he would want it himself. It was so like her to always be thinking of other people rather than herself.

On the cab ride home, Orihime laced her fingers through Ulquiorra's and leaned her head on his shoulder. "That was so perfect. Thank you Ulqui."

He didn't respond but instead leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of Orihime's head. 'Yes… perfect,' he thought and wasn't referring to the evening.

XxXxXxX

The next afternoon, Ulquiorra was just finishing up his practice session in Urahara's basement when he remembers his and Orihime's conversation the previous night. Ichigo was walking beside him as they left the shop and Ulquiorra said, "I want to marry Orihime."

Ichigo nearly choked and had to painfully swallow the mouthful of water that had lodged in his throat. "You what!?" he said in astonishment, not sure he'd heard him correctly.

"I want to marry Orihime. Why are you so surprised?" he asked as he noted Ichigo's wide eyes and stunned expression.

"Well it's just… most people… I don't know."

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked, further surprising Ichigo.

"How am I supposed to know? I'm not married."

"Orihime said something about proposing and a ring. Where do you get a ring?"

Ulquiorra's questions left Ichigo in a daze. He couldn't get beyond the fact that his friend was talking so easily about marriage. "Whoa… hold on Ulquiorra. My brain is still trying to wrap itself around the idea of you marrying Orihime. Let it all sink in first before you start asking other questions."

Ulquiorra did as he was asked, confused as to why Ichigo was acting so strangely about this. He knew he was in love with Orihime. It was the logical thing to do wasn't it?

Finally Ichigo said, "Well, ok. I know you love Orihime but… have you ever been with another girl before?" Ichigo blushed slightly as he asked the awkward question.

"No. Why would I need to have been?"

"Well, most men want to… test the waters."

That made no sense to Ulquiorra. Why would he want to be with anyone else when he already was with the most perfect girl he'd ever met? Ichigo was strange sometimes.

Ichigo watched Ulquiorra's face as he said that and shrugged. He should have figured Ulquiorra wasn't like that. "Let's go talk to Rukia. She'll know what to say."

Ulquiorra nodded and followed Ichigo back to his house. Rukia was upstairs in Ichigo's bedroom reading the latest manga when they entered and Ichigo immediately told her what Ulquiorra had said to him. Rukia's eyes opened wider than Ichigo's had and Ulquiorra stared at the small girl with a slight look of annoyance. Why was it so hard to believe?

"You want to marry her?" she asked, her face bewildered.

"Yes," he answered simply.

Rukia seemed to compose herself quicker than Ichigo had, her face running through several emotions before settling on a pondering look.

"Ok. I guess I can understand why. You guys haven't been 'normal'… no offense, in your relationship since the start."

Ulquiorra felt slightly relieved to have someone finally agree with him.

"But are you sure? Are you sure that you want to be with her forever? You do know I will kill you if you ever EVER hurt her right?" Rukia said sternly, moving to stand only a few inches in front of him.

He gulped and nodded, slightly intimidated by the small woman.

"Good," Rukia said and her face instantly changed to a look of excitement. "This is great! Have you bought the ring yet?"

Ulquiorra shook his head and took a seat next to Ichigo on the bed while Rukia paced back and forth inside the small room.

"Hmm… I think I can help you out there. I'll try to subtly ask her what type of engagement ring she wants when she gets married and then I'll take you shopping to pick it out." She continued to pace while asking, "And how are you going to pop the question?"

Once again, Ulquiorra was at a loss for how to answer and only shrugged.

"Well that's your department. It has to be special though. Every girl dreams of this moment and it has to be perfect for her," said Rukia with a dreamy look crossing her face. Ichigo grunted at her expression and Rukia smacked the side of his head in annoyance.

'Perfect?' Ulquiorra thought to himself. This was turning into a much bigger deal than he'd expected. Why couldn't he just ask her and be done with it? It was a simple matter to him. He loved her, she loved him. They should be married. But if what Rukia was saying was right and that this was a big deal to Orihime then he would make a big deal out of it too. He just had no idea how.

Rukia seemed to notice his confused look and said, "Think of the things Orihime likes best in the world and try to think of a way to surround her with them when you ask her. And make sure it's a surprise. It loses all the glitter if you don't surprise them. It shouldn't be too hard. You know her better than anyone."

She was right. He did know her better than anyone. Idea's started to funnel into his brain and he began rambling them off to Rukia and Ichigo. When they were satisfied that they had a decent idea formed, Ulquiorra left the two and headed home; thanking them for their help before he left.

When he got home, Orihime was just getting back from her time out with Tatsuki whom she rarely got to see anymore since they were going to different schools. Orihime bounced into the kitchen and grabbed a box of crackers from the cabinet before plopping herself down on the couch and patting the spot next to her for him to sit down. She laid her legs over his and gave him a kiss before reaching for the remote and turning on the TV.

"How was your time with Tatsuki?" he asked and stuck his hand inside the cracker box to grab a handful.

"It was great! I miss her so much. We played Alien Invaders at the arcade and then went for a walk around the park. I wish I saw her more often."

Ulquiorra finished the last few crackers in his hand and leaned back, letting his hand rub absentmindedly over her legs. He loved these moments. He was never happier than when it was just the two of them enjoying a quiet evening. 'Forever… sure, he could do this forever,' he thought.

His mind started to form a few more ideas and he started to feel a little bit excited, an emotion he was still getting used to. For once he was looking forward to visiting the Soul Society. He had a mission now that had nothing to do with hollows or swords.

**I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think. I've had such bad writers block lately… my insane work schedule hasn't helped, but I was a little bit more into it this evening. **

**Hopefully it won't take me as long to update and I'll get back to how I used to be with an update every night or at least every other night.**

**Please review! Even criticism is welcome **


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"I hate those meetings," grumbled Ichigo to Ulquiorra as the pair left the Captain Commanders office. Ulquiorra agreed completely and mumbled something similar in response.

"When are we supposed to meet Orihime again? I can't remember what she said before we went inside," asked Ichigo as they walked beside each other through the Division 1 barracks.

"She didn't really say a time. She just said she was going to visit Rangiku and we should meet her there when we were done."

"Oh ok. Let's go talk to Renji then about your uh… proposal… thing." Ichigo still hadn't gotten accustomed to the idea of his two close friends getting married. It seemed so sudden but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

The two walked along the perfectly laid path, comfortable in their silence. Ulquiorra still received shocked looks occasionally from passing shinigami but for the most part, people seemed to have accepted him. He was sure it helped that Ichigo was usually with him. The respect that the Soul Society had for the orange haired substitute was obvious. It still amazed Ulquiorra at times that Ichigo had been able to defeat Aizen.

Ulquiorra shook his head at his previous blind faith.

They finally reached Renji's quarters and Ichigo didn't bother knocking as he slid the door open and walked inside. Renji was shoveling down a bowl full of food as the pair entered, Ulquiorra a step behind Ichigo and Renji quickly placed the bowl on the low table to say, "Didn't you learn any manners Ichigo?"

"You don't knock when you come through my window," retorted Ichigo, taking a seat on the side of the patio that faced a small, well manicured lawn. Ulquiorra didn't feel quite as comfortable with Renji so he stood quietly in the center of the room while Renji finished his food.

"You're not staying here tonight are you?" Renji asked after taking his last bite and standing up to wash out his bowl.

"No. Ulquiorra needs you for something," said Ichigo who had picked up a blade of grass and was busy tearing it into little pieces.

Ulquiorra took this as his cue to start explaining what he was hoping to do and asking Renji if he wouldn't mind participating and also if he wouldn't mind letting a few others in the soul society know as well. When he was finished, Renji nodded his head with a wide grin spreading across his face. "Tying the knot already eh Ulquiorra? You afraid some guy is gonna come steal her away?"

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed in confusion then annoyance before Renji continued.

"I'm just messin' with ya. Congratulations man. I hope she says yes."

The last sentence made Ulquiorra's face go paler than it already was. He hadn't thought about that. What if she said no? The thought terrified him.

"I'll make sure to let everyone you mentioned know. I'll cya next weekend."

Ulquiorra and Ichigo left Renji's and headed out to meet up with Orihime. Along the way, Ulquiorra couldn't shake the thoughts that had been thundering through his head ever since Renji had mentioned Orihime's answer. As soon as Orihime had explained what marriage was he'd been dead set on this course and never stopped to think that there might be a possibility that she would say no. His heart constricted and his hands clenched by his sides as they walked through the long courtyard.

"Ulquiorra… are you ok?" asked Ichigo with a concerned look on his face.

Ulquiorra nodded and flexed his fingers to relieve some of the tension.

XxXxXxX

"You've been dating Ulquiorra for over a year now?! Time is just flying by! I feel so old!" whined Rangiku who was lying out on her captain's couch with Orihime sitting in a nearby chair.

"You are old," said an icy cool voice across the room. Captain Hitsugaya was busy working on several stacks of paperwork as he listened to the women catch up. He couldn't very well not let Rangiku visit with Orihime since it was rare that they saw each other. Plus, Orihime had been extremely kind to him while he'd had to stay in the living world but he knew his vice captain and he knew that if he let her leave the office she would never return.

"That's mean Taicho," said Rangiku who didn't really seemed annoyed. "Mmm… this cake is so good!" she moaned as she gobbled down another mouthful of chocolate cake. "That restaurant must have been amazing."

Orihime talked a bit about their romantic dinner and then listened as Rangiku started relaying all the latest gossip in soul society. A bit later, Orihime started to wonder what was taking Ulquiorra and Ichigo so long when a knock sounded on the door and in the pair walked. They greeted Hitsugaya, the young captain getting slightly annoyed when Ichigo referred to him as Toshiro. Rangiku gave them each an exuberant hug and gushed when Ulquiorra leaned over and gave Orihime a quick kiss.

"You guys are just so cute! I can't stand it."

Ichigo and Toshiro both sighed in exasperation.

"Are you ready to go Inoue?" asked Ichigo.

"Yea sure," she answered. "Bye guys!. See you soon I hope."

XxXxXxX

Ulquiorra stared at the sparkling rock on Rukia's hand. He had no idea why people paid so much for something so tiny. When the sales person had told him how much it was he'd nearly choked. 'There goes a good chunk of my savings,' he thought as he watched Rukia slide the ring off and place it in the small, black leather box.

"She's going to love it!" beamed Rukia. Beside her, Ichigo didn't seem quite as thrilled. It looked like he was equally mystified by the price of the diamond ring. Either that or he was afraid Rukia was going to start getting ideas.

The three left the small jewelry store and headed towards home. Ulquiorra stuffed the small box inside his pocket and shifted the other bags to carry them in his left hand as they walked down the street. Eventually they had to part ways and Ulquiorra walked the few blocks to his and Orihime's apartment, completely lost in thought. He had the ring now; everything else was inside the bags. His plan was all set. But what was he supposed to say? Rukia had clued him in on the conventional ways of proposing, describing to him how men would get down on one knee and hold out the ring while asking the question. He'd spent the last several nights lying awake while Orihime slept peacefully beside him, completely unaware of the turmoil running ramped inside his head as he tried to figure out how to express all that he wanted.

Tomorrow was it. Ready or not, there was no going back.

XxXxXxX

"Are you sure you wanna go for a walk? I think it's going to rain." asked Orihime while slipping on her brown sandals. She glanced at Ulquiorra's face which was turned towards the window, looking up at the approaching dark clouds.

When Ulquiorra didn't answer, Orihime cupped a hand to his cheek and turned his head to face hers. "Are you ok?" she asked, concerned by the strange expression on her boyfriends face.

His emerald green eyes stared deeply into her eyes, almost making her gasp at the depth of emotion swimming within. Something was definitely wrong with him.

"Please tell me what's wrong Ulqui," she asked quietly, hoping he would answer her.

"I'm fine Orihime. I just… need some fresh air," he answered, patting his pants pockets as if to make sure his keys were in there and grabbed the knob to open the door.

They left the apartment, their hands automatically reaching out for each other and their fingers lacing together. Orihime turned her head up towards the sky and grimaced, it looked like it could rain any second. She looked back over at Ulquiorra who was staring straight ahead, the same look set on his face.

She tightened her grip on his hand as they turned into the park and noticed something familiar up ahead. "Hey, I think that's Rukia and Kurosaki-kun," she said, tugging on his arm. She waved as they approached them and Rukia was working hard to repress the huge grin that threatened to take over her face.

"Hi guys! What are you doing out here?" Orihime asked as the four of them started walking together down the path.

"We uh… decided to take a walk before it started raining," answered Ichigo.

"Ulquiorra wanted to as well. You guys are thinking more and more alike every day," she said and giggled. They walked for a few more minutes, Rukia and Orihime chatting animatedly about random topics.

"Look guys. Doesn't that look like Rangiku and Hitsugaya Taicho up ahead?" said Orihime, pointing up the path.

"Hi Orihime!" cried Rangiku as she came skipping up to the group, Toshiro lagging behind a few steps.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Orihime incredulously.

"Taicho needed a break from work so I made him take a little vacation," Rangiku answered and continued on. "Here Orihime. I have something for you," she said and reached inside her pocket and pulled out a small red box.

Orihime reached eager fingers out for the box and quickly opened it, knowing already what was inside. "Truffles!" she yelled and popped a white chocolate one in her mouth, moaning as the center oozed into her mouth. "Oh… these are so GOOD!" she nearly drooled as she exclaimed her delight and popped another into her mouth.

"Anyone want one?" she asked, holding the small box out. Everyone shook their head and she quickly popped another two in her mouth. "Last one. Its dark chocolate Ulquiorra," she said and teasingly held the truffle in front of his face.

"You can have it," he said and watched her face deflate a little. Apparently she wanted to feed the chocolate to him. He didn't bother to say anything but instead opened his mouth with a sigh and let her feed him. He caught the tips of her fingers between his lips before she pulled them away and they both blushed at the contact.

"Do you guys wanna walk with us?" asked Orihime.

"Sure," Rangiku and Toshiro answered in unison, turning and walking beside the growing group.

"If you guys don't have plans… maybe we should all do…," Orihime began to say but was interrupted by someone calling out to them.

"Ichigo! Orihime! Rukia! Wait up!" cried Keigo as he came running up from behind. When Orihime turned to look at his approaching figure, she noticed Chad and Uryu behind him, walking steadily towards them.

"Wow! This is incredible! So many people out in the park today," said Orihime, completely oblivious to the fact that it wasn't coincidental. "Hi guys!"

A chorus of hi's came from the three guys and Uryu reached inside his pocket and pulled out a strange looking stuffed animal. "Hey uh, I meant to give this to you a while back."

Orihime took the stuffed animal and squealed with delight when she looked closer at it. It was a plush robot with large round eyes and long thin arms hanging from its sides. "Did you make this yourself?" she asked, squeezing the robot and holding it to her chest.

Uryu adjusted his glasses and answered, a slight blush tinting his pale cheeks. "I was bored in handycrafts class a few years ago."

The group continued down the path, weaving through the green park which was increasingly getting darker and darker as the clouds came in. Keigo was busy hassling Ichigo, complaining that he never got to see him anymore since they don't go to the same school. Rukia, Rangiku and Toshiro were busy talking about something that was going on in the soul society. Orihime reached out and grabbed Ulquiorra's hand, smiling and looking up at him as they walked.

"This is really neat isn't it?" she said and swung their arms back and forth as they walked. She glanced up at his face and wondered again what was bothering him. There was definitely something on his mind.

"Hey Orihime!" yelled Tatsuki, running over a hill towards them and waving her hand.

"Tatsuki!" exclaimed Orihime as she ran over to meet Tatsuki. "This is amazing! So many people!"

The group all agreed that it was amazing luck that they were all out at the same place, at the same time, and on the same day.

"I wonder who else we will run into?" said Ichigo sarcastically and right on cue, Renji, Hanataro, Ikkaku and Yumichika came strolling down the path in front of them. Renji and Hanataro were holding single red roses in their hands and Yumichika was holding two, waving them under his nose as he walked and inhaling the sweet fragrance. When they stopped in front of the growing group, Orihime was speechless as the two men handed her the flowers.

'Ok. Something is going on,' she thought as she took the flowers. Her hands started to tremble slightly and her mind started to race. Ulquiorra tightened his grip on Orihime's hand when he felt her start to shake. She was grateful for the action and leaned closer to him as they walked deeper into the park.

When they turned a corner, Kenpachi was standing there with Yachiru in her customary spot on his shoulder. Their group was now huge and the narrow path couldn't contain the entire group so several smaller groups had formed behind Ulquiorra and Orihime. As they entered a large clearing, Orihime gasped when she saw Urahara, Yoruichi, Ururu, Jinta, Byakuya, Shinji, and Ishhin all standing in a long line in front of them.

"What… what is going on?" stuttered Orihime nervously as she clutched Ulquiorra's arm. The group that had been walking with them joined the others and stood, smiling but not saying a word to answer her.

Orihime turned from one side of the group to the other, trying to figure out what was happening when suddenly Ulquiorra released her hand, causing her to turn around abruptly to see where he was going. When she looked, Ulquiorra was kneeling on the ground, one hand on his knee and the other bracing himself on his thigh. His head was downcast, his hand now running up and down the top of his thigh and she could see a slight quaking of his body.

She started to panic. What was going on? Did something happen at his last meeting with Yamamoto? Is he ok?

"Orihime…" he began and had to clear his throat before he could continue. He lifted his head and said again, "Orihime, when I first met you, you… intrigued me. Every word you said confounded me and made me doubt everything I had taught myself. I thought I knew everything there was that could be seen and anything else was non-existent. You made me doubt those beliefs.

"You gave me light when I was surrounded by darkness. You filled me with warmth when all that I ever knew was the cold. You befriended me when I deserved your contempt. You helped me to become something better than I was."

His hand reached inside his pocket and he pulled out a small black box before he continued. "You taught me love. You showed me that the best thing in life is to love, and to be loved in return." He carefully opened the box and held it out for her.

"I love you Orihime. I want to be with you forever; in this life and the next. Will you marry me?

Orihime stared at the man in front of her, her eyes brimming with tears. Her lower lip was trembling and her entire body felt like it had been flooded with tiny butterflies. She searched his eyes, hypnotized by the unrestrained love she saw in them. The world around her started to fall away. She forgot that nearly every person she knew was standing near them.

His raven hair whipped around his head with the increasingly windy weather and she felt a rain drop hit her cheek. She'd seen this look before on his face and suddenly she was flooded with memories of a time just a little over a year ago when Ulquiorra had found her in this very park, this very spot to be exact. She'd made a promise to him then… a promise to take care of him. She wasn't going to turn back on that now.

Her lips started to curl up, gradually turning into a larger and larger smile until she was grinning from ear to ear. She giggled and threw her arms around Ulquiorra, tackling him to the ground and screaming "Yes, yes I'll marry you," amidst cheers and applause.

Orihime's lips found his and once again she forgot that people were there, losing herself to the moment and his incredible mouth. She was straddling Ulquiorra as she kissed him and when the familiar tingles started shooting down her body, she moaned and deepened the kiss.

"Hey love birds! Save it for the honeymoon!" yelled someone from the crowd and Orihime lifted her head with a huge smile covering her blushing face.

"Let me see the ring!" cried Rangiku, the group gathering closer.

The ring. She hadn't even looked at it yet. She had been so caught up in what he was saying that she hadn't been able to look away from him. He held the ring out to her from where they sat on the ground and slid the white gold band on to her finger. It fit perfectly. The princess cut diamond was surrounded by two smaller diamonds on either side and those were surrounded by two smaller diamonds beside them. She stared at the sparkling gems, the weight on her finger feeling foreign and strange.

When Rangiku started nearly bouncing in anticipation beside her, Orihime stood up and held her hand out for her to see. The strawberry blondes eyes grew wide and she exclaimed, "It's gorgeous! Good job Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra felt a bit embarrassed by the compliment and all the attention that was directed towards him now. It had been easy to forget all the people around when he was talking to Orihime but now the crowd of people was smiling at them and all he wanted to do was go home and spend the rest of the evening alone with Orihime. The whole point though had been to surround her with the things she loved and one of those things, the main thing, was the people she cared about. He was incredibly grateful to Rukia and Renji who had been the main source of help in gathering everyone together.

As if the heavens heard Ulquiorra's thoughts, the clouds suddenly opened up and everyone started running around to find cover. Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's hand and they ran off towards the nearest tree, nearly soaked before they made it under.

"I told you it was going to rain," Orihime teased as she wrapped her arms around Ulquiorra's neck and leaned forward to give him a kiss.

Ulquiorra absorbed the feel of her lips on his, enjoying every caress when the realization of what had just occurred finally hit him. She'd said yes. She was going to be his forever. His lips became more urgent and soon his tongue was delving inside her mouth, wanting to devour her while his hands pressed her body tightly against his. Their wet clothes were heated where their bodies pressed together and all thought to where they were was miles away until they heard a not so quiet cough beside them.

"Uh, we're gonna all go over to my house to celebrate. Did you guys wanna come?" asked Ichigo who was completely soaked through, his black t-shirt clinging to his body.

Orihime looked up at Ulquiorra who hadn't taken his eyes off of her, even after the interruption and shook her head. "No thanks. I think we are gonna head home," she said.

Ichigo grinned and yelled out to everyone, "Looks like you were right Renji. Let's get out of here." The crowd of people laughed and everyone said congratulations to the couple before they started half running towards the Kurosaki house.

The newly engaged couple walked slowly home, uncaring about the rain that was still pouring down on them. Orihime looked at the ring once again and then turned her face to ask, "When did you decide you were going to ask?"

"When we saw the couple in the restaurant last weekend," he answered without hesitation.

"But, you didn't even know what it meant."

Ulquiorra shrugged and answered, "As soon as you told me that it meant we would be together forever I knew I wanted to do it."

Orihime felt like her chest was going to explode with so much emotion filling her heart and she felt tears stinging her eyes though she stoically held them back. 'When had he become so romantic?'

**Don't shoot me please. I tried my best. I hope it was ok. **


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you guys for being so kind. I was really nervous about posting that last chapter. I was afraid people would think it was either just way too out of character for Ulquiorra or anticlimactic. But I'm glad that at least the people who reviewed didn't think it was too bad.**

**Thanks again! **

**Chapter 28**

After Ulquiorra fell asleep, Orihime let herself stare at his wonderfully peaceful face. It still hadn't sunk in that she was engaged to him. The thought made her smile. It was amazing to think about the changes in their relationship. Ignoring the fact that they had been mortal enemies at the beginning, just the changes since they had reunited were incredible.

She remembered the words he had said to her, how she had taught him to love and be loved in return. It was the same for her. She'd loved her friends of course but she'd never been IN love with someone. It had been so easy for her to give him everything inside her and he was so easy to love. His brutally honest personality was refreshing to someone who had difficulty deciphering sarcasm. He hid his emotions so well most of the time but the moments when he let himself go were so precious and she cherished each one.

Her hand reached out and caressed the side of his face, brushing a fallen lock of raven hair away from his eyes. He was so beautiful, and he was hers forever. Of course they still had to have the wedding but… minor details.

"Why are you staring at me?" Ulquiorra asked, startling Orihime who started to giggle nervously.

"How do you always do that?" she asked.

"I know you well," he answered and reached an arm out to pull her closer. She snuggled her head into his chest and breathed deeply, absorbing the wonderful smell of him.

"I thought you were asleep."

Ulquiorra grunted in reply and shifted his body in the bed, his eyes still not opening.

"Did you tell Murcielago yet?" she asked, her mind still racing over the events of the day.

"I didn't have to tell him. He knew."

"Oh I see," she said and started to trail her fingers over his bare chest. She loved how he'd adopted the habit of sleeping without a shirt on. It was so sexy. Her index finger made a circle around his left nipple and then continued down to trace the lines of his stomach.

"Orihime…" Ulquiorra groaned when her fingers started to slide beneath the elastic of his pants.

"Hmm?" answered Orihime, a devilish grin spreading across her face.

"What are you…," he gasped before he finished when Orihime's fingers lightly circled the head of his shaft.

Ulquiorra's breathing started to accelerate and Orihime felt him growing in her palm. She started stroking his erection and leaned forward to kiss him, her tongue slipping through his lips and caressing his. She felt his hand move to the curve of her waist and grasp the bottom of her tank top. Their mouths parted when he lifted the fabric over her head and she took the opportunity to move down his body, slipping between his legs and grabbing the elastic of his pants. She pulled the flannel pants down and threw them in a pile at the end of the bed.

His member was now fully erect and he lay on his back, watching her as she slid back up between his legs. She kissed her way up the inside of his thigh and then trailed her tongue from the base of his erection to the tip, swirling the head and then closing her lips around the sensitive area. She watched Ulquiorra's face as she sucked him in and then let him slide slowly out of her mouth. His eyes never left hers and his hand reached out and sifted through her long hair as she moved up and down him. She loved watching his reactions, his mouth making a perfect O whenever she sucked harder.

He sat up and grabbed Orihime beneath her arms and pulled her up his body and captured her lips in a searing kiss. Orihime wiggled out of her shorts without releasing his lips and then straddled his hips, rubbing her core over his length. She reached a hand between their bodies and guided him inside her, their lips parting briefly as they both absorbed the feeling of completeness. They kissed again as she started to move over him, slowly pushing him in and nearly out of her.

Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around her and sat up, wanting to feel her body pressed against his. His hands helped her hips as she continued to move over him and the rhythm started to increase as well as the tempo of their breathing.

He watched her close her eyes as she lost herself to the feelings they were creating. It still amazed him that this beautiful woman could want him. He could feel his entire body thrumming with emotion and it made him pull Orihime closer and he moved them to the side of the bed, leaving her briefly while he knelt on the floor and parted Orihime's thighs before entering her again with a quick thrust of his hips. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she held on tight while he slid in and out of her quicker and quicker. Their mouths hungrily sought out each other and soon they were gasping between kisses, lips quaking each time Ulquiorra sheathed himself completely inside Orihime.

Orihime could feel the muscles in her body starting to clench deliciously with every stroke of his hips. She abandoned herself to the feelings and threw her head back as her body started to climb towards the pinnacle, every inch of her body pulsing with such incredible feeling. She was almost there, her hands clenched in Ulquiorra's hair when suddenly he pulled out and pushed her down on the bed. She nearly cried with frustration as her body rebelled against the loss of him inside her. Her hands pulled him to her and he quickly joined her, laying his body over hers and pushing inside her in one fluid motion.

It didn't take long for her body to start clenching again, each thrust bringing her towards that pinnacle she'd been so close to just a minute ago. Her fingers dug into his back as she arched up and screamed her release, calling out his name through ragged breaths.

Ulquiorra loved it. He couldn't get enough of pleasure filled cries. He could feel the beginnings of his own release and pushed back against them, wanting to ride out this moment a bit longer. He wanted to hear her again.

Orihime rode the waves of her orgasm till conscious thought returned to her, her hips rocking slowly to Ulquiorra's new rhythm. He was sliding in and out of her, pushing himself so deeply that she groaned each time. Her body wasn't finished coming down from the previous orgasm before her muscles started clenching once again. She shook her head back and forth, knowing for sure that she wouldn't be able to make it through another. She simply would die from lack of energy.

His lips claimed hers, gentle but deep, making her mind swirl with sexual need. Before she knew it, she was clutching him to her, trying to meld her body into his. She forgot her earlier sluggishness and started matching his hips again with thrusts of her own. She knew he had to be close and she wanted desperately to hear him cry out with his own release. His ragged breathing was incredibly sexy beside her ear and she looked between their bodies, watching his stomach muscles tighten with each thrust. It was so erotic watching him.

Her body responded, muscles tightening and her stomach pooling with heat. "Ulquiorra… I'm… I'm gonna come again!" she practically screamed and pressed her palms against his lower back, grinding her hips against his and sending herself over the edge.

Ulquiorra couldn't hold back another second. He watched her face contort with her orgasm and he pushed deeply, one last time before spilling himself within her. His whole body shook with his release, his arms barely strong enough to hold himself up. He was able to roll himself to the side just before his elbows bent and he collapsed to the bed.

"I need a drink," he groaned a few minutes later, his heart starting to beat normally again inside his chest. He grabbed his pants and pulled them on before rising from the warm bed.

Orihime quickly threw her clothes on as well and followed him out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. She watched his sleekly muscular body reach up into the cabinet and pull down a small glass. He opened the refrigerator and filled his glass with orange juice, returning the carton and closing the door. His narrow hips leaned against the counter as he tilted the glass back and drank down half the glass.

"Want some?" he offered, holding the glass out.

Orihime nodded her head and took a step forward so that she was standing in front of him. She reached her hand out for the glass but he moved it away from her, tsking her and grabbing her narrow waist to pull her against him. She leaned back and watched as Ulquiorra brought the glass to her lips and slowly tilted it up, the cool liquid passing over  
"?her lips and sliding down her throat. As soon as she swallowed, Ulquiorra's lips were brushing against hers, his tongue sliding between her lips and licking up the sweet leftovers.

"More?" he asked, his voice growing deeper with a tinge of lust.

Once again, Orihime nodded her head but this time waited with her mouth slightly parted. Her eyes never left his while he dribbled the orange drink into her mouth. A small drop missed her mouth and slipped over her chin and down her throat. She instinctively reached her hand up to wipe away the trail of juice but Ulquiorra's hands caught hers before they reached their destination. His face dipped down and his tongue started licking up the orange trail. She moaned as his tongue licked up her neck and over her chin. When his tongue slipped between her lips, she let her body go limp and his arm tightened around her to hold her close.

"Mmm, you taste so sweet Orihime," whispered Ulquiorra against her ear, sending shivers down her spine. He drank the remaining contents in the glass in one gulp and placed it on the counter beside them. When he turned back, he placed his hand gently on Orihime's cheek and said, "Thank you for saying yes."

Orihime smiled and then a thought occurred to her. "We have to plan a wedding."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened and Orihime giggled.

"We don't have to get married right away or anything but I'm sure people will start asking."

"We have to _plan_ a wedding?" Ulquiorra asked slightly confused.

"Well of course. No one else is going to do it for us."

XxXxXxX

"June 22nd."

Ulquiorra raised his eyebrow from where he was sitting on the sofa, reading his text book. They were half way through their second year of college and it had been six months since Ulquiorra had proposed to Orihime. 'What was she talking about?' he wondered.

"A date for our wedding. What do you think? I always wanted a summer wedding so we can have it outdoors and school will be over by then for the summer."

Ulquiorra shrugged indifferently and said, "Sure. Whatever you want."

Orihime pouted and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. She was standing on the other side of the room, looking at the puppy dog calendar hanging on the wall between the kitchen and living room. Ulquiorra knew that look and sighed as he marked his place in the book on his lap and put it aside to stand up. He moved beside her and looked at the calendar before saying, "I just want to be married to you Orihime. I don't care when it is. As long as you are happy then I'll be happy."

"But I don't know what you like. Do you even want an outdoor wedding?" she asked.

"Honestly Orihime, I've never even thought about it. I didn't even know what a wedding was a year ago."

Orihime smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "So you don't mind that day?"

He shook his head and kissed her.

XxXxXxX

"I'm so excited!" squealed Rangiku as Orihime, Rukia and Tatsuki followed her into the dress shop. They made their way to the back of the shop and were led into a large dressing area with a rack of dresses hanging neatly near one wall. A lady was waiting back there for them and greeted them with a large smile.

"So which one of you is Orihime?" she asked as the group all took seats on the line of chairs against the far wall.

Nervously Orihime raised her hand and Rangiku pushed her off her chair, nearly making her tumble forward onto the floor. Luckily she was able to catch herself first and stood awkwardly in the center of the room.

"Wonderful!" the perky lady said enthusiastically and reached for the first dress hanging on the rack. "I selected several different dresses for you to try in all different styles. Every body is different and sometimes you will be surprised by what flatters you best so I highly recommend you try them all on."

Orihime nodded and accepted the first dress and was then led behind a white curtain in the corner of the room. She slipped behind and quickly stripped out of her clothes then unzipped the first bag.

Two hours later, after trying on dozens of white dresses, the four women stared at the remaining two dresses hanging on separate hooks on the wall. Tatsuki didn't seem quite as interested as the other women but pretended well and decided to agree with Orihime on whatever she picked. Rangiku and Rukia on the other hand were extremely involved and pointed out different qualities they liked about each dress.

Orihime stood and walked up to each dress to look at the price and nearly swooned on the spot. If she bought either of these dresses it would eat up all the money they had set aside for the wedding.

"Orihime… I told you not to worry about the price. I already talked to my brother and it's settled. It's our gift to you," said Rukia.

"But Rukia. I can't possibly let you buy something like this. It's too much."

"Non-sense. Don't look at that tag again," Rukia ordered and Orihime dropped the small piece of paper.

"I like that one best," said Rangiku, pointing at the dress on the left. "I think it flattered her curves best and had such a graceful quality to it."

Orihime had been leaning towards that one slightly from the beginning but she knew she had bad taste in clothes so she hadn't wanted to say anything. When she watched Rukia's head nod in agreement she smiled and said, "I like that one too." Tatsuki agreed immediately after and it was settled, Orihime now had a dress.

XxXxXxX

**Ok people… I need some help. I know absolutely nothing about cake. I hate cake so I have no idea what kind they would get. I could skip over that part but I'm curious if anyone had any suggestions on type and style. If I only get one response then that's what it will be but if I get several I'll try to pick whichever one seems more popular. **

**I hope you make a suggestion!**

**XxXxXxX**

"So, are you nervous yet?" asked Ichigo as he walked with Ulquiorra out of their last final for the semester.

Ulquiorra shrugged and shifted his books from one arm to the other. There was only three weeks left till his wedding and nearly everything was planned out. The past few months had been hectic with preparations. He couldn't believe how much was involved in planning a wedding. He'd spent countless hours with Orihime, picking out flowers, decorations, invitations, food, cake… it was all so overwhelming.

Luckily, Orihime had pretty much taken care of everything and he'd just followed whatever she suggested. Unfortunately though, she'd left him to order his own tux and that of his groomsmen. What did he know about things like that?

"Err Ichigo," he started to say as they walked down the street. He'd been meaning to ask this for a while but kept putting it off. "Would you uh... be my… best man?"

"Yea of course. I'm honored man," answered Ichigo and Ulquiorra breathed a small sigh of relief. At least that was done.

"Do you know anything about tux's?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head and laughed, "No. Didn't Orihime pick something out for you?"

Ulquiorra shook his head. "The only thing she told me was something about a silver tie. Do you think Renji would know?"

"Who knows? We can ask though when we go to Soul Society tomorrow for our meeting."

XxXxXxX

"You guys are hopeless," moaned Renji as he watched Ichigo and Ulquiorra walk out of their dressing rooms. Ichigo had his black tie draped around his neck, holding both ends and trying to tie the thing correctly but failing miserably. Ulquiorra hadn't even bothered trying to tie his, opting to instead let it dangle out of his hand as he walked out.

Renji went to work on Ichigo's tie and then fixed Ulquiorra's as well. All three men were dressed in the typical black tux with charcoal colored vests. Renji and Ichigo had plain black ties and Ulquiorra had a lighter silver color one.

"Where's Toshiro?" asked Ichigo, turning his head to look at the closed door beside him.

"It's Captain!" bellowed the young captain from behind the dressing room door.

Slowly the knob started to turn and Captain Hitsugaya took a step outside with a frown on his face which quickly turned into a snarl when Ichigo and Renji started laughing hysterically.

"Who picked this out?" Toshiro asked angrily. The hem of his pants only made it to mid shin and the shirt started gaping between the buttons over his chest. Apparently he hadn't even bothered trying to get the jacket on.

"You do realize people grow right?"

Ichigo and Renji continued to laugh while Ulquiorra tried to contain the urge. He knew the young captain least well out of the bunch but the interactions he'd had with him were always friendly and courteous.

Renji handed Toshiro the correct tux while he continued to laugh and had the door slammed in his face by the icy captain. "Sorry Taicho. I'm still not used to you being nearly my height," said Renji after he finally was able to speak.

An angry growl came from behind the door and the two men stopped laughing, not wanting to push their luck. A few minutes later, Toshiro walked out in the same tux that Ichigo and Renji were wearing, his tie neatly done up.

"What do you have planned for the bachelor's party?" Renji asked Ichigo.

"Uh, what?"

"Ah come on. Don't tell me you didn't plan anything?" whined Renji.

"Why would I have to plan something like that?" Ichigo asked, getting slightly defensive.

"Because that's the job of the best man."

"Oh," was all Ichigo said as he adjusted his collar.

"What's a bachelor's party?" asked Ulquiorra.

"It's your last night of freedom!" answered Renji.

Ulquiorra stared at the man in confusion and Renji continued, "It's just a night out before the wedding day. Don't worry… we won't go too crazy." The wink at the end of that statement made Ulquiorra nervous.

**To be continued…**


	29. Chapter 29

**Sorry to the people I couldn't answer who reviewed. I can't respond to guest reviews. **

**Thank you to everyone else for their suggestions on the cake. I hope you like what I picked out.**

**Chapter 29**

"Oh my God… you gotta try this!" exclaimed Orihime as she held out a forkful of chocolate cake dripping with chocolaty syrup. Ulquiorra just sighed and opened his mouth. She'd said that about every single sample that had been given to her. This time though, as he swallowed the moist and dripping mouthful, he almost had to agree. He would never admit it out loud but chocolate was certainly his favorite dessert since becoming a human.

"I just don't know which I liked best," pouted Orihime. She was sitting on a stool in front of a large wooden table, Ulquiorra beside her, and dozens of small plates with cake samples on them littering the surface. She leaned her elbows on the table and bit on the tip of her fingernail as she perused the selections. "Which did you like best Ulqui?" she asked and turned her body slightly to face him.

"They were all… acceptable," he answered and ducked his head when Orihime swatted at him.

"That's not a good answer. This is your wedding too. I want you to like everything as much as me."

He had tried, he really had through all of the planning and organizing but this was all way out of his range of expertise.

The woman on the other side of the table coughed quietly and suggested, "You could do cupcakes."

Ulquiorra watched Orihime's eyes widen and exclaim, "We can?!"

"Sure," the lady said and elaborated. "We can do a three tier cake with the top tier being a normal cake in whichever flavor you choose and then the bottom two tiers can be a mixture of different flavor cupcakes." The woman slid a three ring binder across the table and flipped the pages till it opened to a picture of a green cake with pink daisy flowers created out of icing. Just as the lady had said, the bottom two tiers had green and pink cupcakes scattered all around with real flowers poking out between the cakes.

Orihime nearly bounced out of her seat in excitement and turned sparkling eyes to Ulquiorra. "Can we do that?"

He knew he could never say no to her when she looked at him like that. Besides, he actually thought it was a great idea. "Sure," he answered and then coughed and corrected himself before Orihime tried to hit him again. "I think it's perfect."

"Great!" said the woman. "Now, what flavor would you like for the top layer?"

Orihime started biting her lower lip and turned once again to look at Ulquiorra. "Which did you like best?"

Ok, he had to think of something. He could do it just once. He knew it was important to Orihime that he participated more in their wedding plans.

His eyes moved over the small plates lining the table. Vanilla cake, red velvet, chocolate… his eyes landed on the last piece he'd tried and made a quick decision. "That one," he said and pointed at the plate with chocolate cake and chocolate syrup.

"Perfect!" cried Orihime who literally did bounce out of her seat this time, clapping her hands and throwing her arms around his neck, nearly making them topple over off his stool.

The woman across from them smiled and started picking up the half eaten plates from the table. "I'll set up the order for you. What day is the wedding again?"

"June 22nd," Orihime answered and laced her fingers through Ulquiorra's. They walked out of the small shop and started making their way down the street. The street was lined with small shops and Orihime couldn't help but look inside every window they passed.

Ulquiorra watched Orihime's inquisitive face and smiled to himself. It never got old looking at her. She was always so curious about life. A thought intruded on him and he groaned, remembering what Renji had said the other day.

"I forgot to tell you. Renji and Ichigo wanna have some sort of party the night before the wedding. Something about a bachelor…"

Orihime turned abruptly and looked at him, forgetting whatever it was that had caught her interest a moment before. "They wanna throw you a bachelor's party?"

He nodded.

"Ha! That's great! You guys will have a blast. Rangiku is already planning something for us girls too."

This was the first Ulquiorra had heard about this. He was curious. "Just you girls?"

"Mmhmm," she answered with a huge smile.

"What will you do?" he asked, intrigued.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything." She turned the question back around on him, asking, "And what will you _guys_ be doing?"

Ulquiorra scratched the back of his head, a nervous habit he'd picked up from Orihime over the past year. "Err, I don't know. They wouldn't tell me either." They walked a bit farther down the street and he turned to ask another question. "Why don't we just do the parties together?"

"Well, it's not really supposed to work like that. The guys do their thing and the girls do theirs."

"Sounds stupid," he mumbled and tightened his grip on Orihime's hand.

"You'll have loads of fun, I'm sure."

XxXxXxX

"Bye Ulquiorra! I'll see you at the alter tomorrow!" said Orihime, standing on her tip toes and giving Ulquiorra a kiss as they stood outside in front of their apartment. She waved as she turned and started walking down the street to meet up with Rangiku and the rest of the girls. Ulquiorra watched her walk away and then stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to head towards Ichigo's apartment.

He still didn't know why they had to have a party the night before his wedding. Sounded like a stupid idea if you asked him. Why would you want to be tired on your wedding day? Plus, he wasn't allowed to sleep with Orihime tonight or even see her till the next afternoon. This whole bachelor's party idea sucks.

It didn't take long for him to get to Ichigo's place. His new apartment was quite a bit closer than his families' house and Ulquiorra knocked on the door.

"Come in!" someone hollered from inside and he turned the knob and opened the door.

"Hey Ulquiorra," said Ichigo from across the room. He noticed Renji in the kitchen, bent over and grabbing something out of the fridge. Renji stood up with two bottles in his hand and walked over to Ulquiorra, kicking the door closed behind him.

"Let the party begin!" said Renji with a wicked grin as he handed a bottle over to Ulquiorra.

A few minutes later, another knock sounded on the door and in walked Captain Hitsugaya with a small bag draped over his shoulder.

"Hey Toshiro!" hollered both Ichigo and Renji from the kitchen. Ulquiorra was seated on the large sofa on the other side of the room, his half empty drink in hand.

He placed his bag on the ground beside the sofa and moved across the room to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle that Renji held out to him. He decided to not make a big deal about the whole Captain thing tonight since this had nothing to do with shinigami stuff.

"Ok. Everyone take a seat at the table please," said Renji in a slightly commanding voice.

Ulquiorra took the seat which was farthest from the kitchen and watched Ichigo and Toshiro take the two seats on either side. Renji took the seat opposite him and dropped a large bottle of vodka in the center of the table along with four shot glasses. Ulquiorra felt his stomach already starting to turn.

"Texas Hold'em… drinking style," announced Renji who started shuffling a classic deck of cards.

"Drinking style… what does that mean?" asked Toshiro after taking a sip from his beer.

"Well, instead of playing for chips we play for shots. You each get two cards like normal Texas Hold'em and then I'll deal out three cards in the center of the table. There's no betting in between. It's just simple… if you think you can win then you hold on to your cards. If you think you're gonna lose, lay down your cards and take a shot. I'll deal out two more cards and if you wanna fold you have to take two shots. If you stay in and win, then you don't have to take any. If you lose though… you have to take three. Any questions?"

The three men shook their heads and proceeded to all pick up the cards they'd been dealt. Renji laid out three cards in the center of the table and placed the rest of the deck on the table.

King, Three, Two

Ulquiorra stared at his two cards and made his calculations. He'd played poker many times now since being with Orihime. He'd actually gotten quite good at the game. He had a great poker face.

"Ah shit. I'm out already," said Ichigo, slapping his cards to the table and pouring himself a shot.

The three other men seemed to be in it for at least another round and Renji burned the next card on the deck, moving it to the bottom, and then dealt out another card face up on the table.

Two

Toshiro put down his cards and reached for the bottle of vodka, pouring himself two consecutive shots and grumbling, "How did I get roped into this?"

"Because you can't say no to your Lieutenant," answered Renji with a grin.

Toshiro turned a menacing glare on Renji and the red head just laughed.

"Ok Ulquiorra. Just you and me." Renji burned another card and then flipped the next on to the table.

Seven

"Sweet!" he exclaimed and laid his two cards out. A king and a seven.

Ulquiorra groaned and reached for the bottle.

The men played several hands and each is thoroughly tipsy when Ichigo asks. "I wonder what the girls are doing?" His cheeks were turning a light shade of pink from the alcohol but his speech was still relatively normal.

Ulquiorra had wondered the same thing several times during the evening. He hated that he had no idea where Orihime was and if she was safe.

"Probably even more drunk than we are if Rangiku was planning it," answered Toshiro whose cheeks matched Ichigo's. His chair scraped against the wooden floor as he stood up and started walking across the room to the bathroom. "Be right back."

Ulquiorra's mind started to wander as they waited. He hoped Orihime was having fun but he was worried. What if something happened? He knew it was stupid to worry about her but the alcohol was enhancing his overprotective side. It's not like all four women couldn't destroy nearly every human male on the planet but still… that was beside the point.

"Rukia let slip that they were going to some nightclub in town. I don't know which one though," said Renji.

"I heard you say something about the girls going to a nightclub," inquired Toshiro as he walked back across the room and took his seat.

Rangiku had brought Toshiro as her date since there would have been an uneven number or groomsmen vs. bridesmaids. He'd always wondered about the relationship between them. The young captain seemed to be permanently annoyed with the bubbly woman but also demonstrated intense feelings of protectiveness and devotion towards her. Sometimes, when they thought no one was looking, Ulquiorra would catch them glancing at each other in the most interesting ways. What did he know though? It's not like he was an expert on emotions.

"Yea. That's what Rukia said. Why? Did you wanna go?" Renji asked.

"No," answered Toshiro a bit too quickly.

"I'd like to see Ichigo try to dance again," teased Renji who was rewarded with a quick punch to his upper arm. "Ow!" he hollered and started rubbing the spot Ichigo had just hit him in.

Ulquiorra couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. A whole crowd of them had gone to a nightclub several months ago, mostly shinigami, and Ichigo had gotten completely trashed. He'd ended up on the dance floor, dancing wildly and completely out of rhythm. At one point, his arm slashed out and he ended up hitting some poor girl in the face, nearly giving her a black eye. They hadn't been out since.

Renji dealt out another hand and soon later, all the men were beyond tipsy and had hurtled themselves to drunkenness.

"Oi… Ichigo!" yelled Renji. Ichigo was across the room, leaving from the bathroom.

"What?" he hollered back.

"Get me a beer."

"Get yourself a beer."

"You're up though," pleaded Renji.

"Lazy ass," Ichigo grumbled as he walked into the kitchen.

Toshiro was leaning back in his chair, his eyes slightly glazed over and Ulquiorra was in a similar state. Both seemed to have something else on their minds other than the poker game.

"Hey! Guys! Wake up!" said Renji, snapping his fingers in front of their faces. "Maybe we should just go find the girls. They'd at least be more fun."

All three men grunted in response but neither actually said no to the suggestion.

"So what do you guys say?" Renji asked, his eyes lighting up slightly.

"We don't even know where they are," argued Ichigo.

"Well how many nightclubs are there in this town?"

"Four. It'll be too hard to find them."

"We'll just go from one to the next. It shouldn't take too long."

Ulquiorra couldn't help but find himself siding with Renji during the argument. What did they need to follow tradition for? Nothing had been traditional since they'd met.

"We'll be lucky to even spot them there will be so many people," argued Ichigo again, taking another swig of his beer.

"I doubt that," Toshiro butt in. "Those women tend to stand out in crowds."

The three men all nodded in agreement at that statement but Ichigo continued, "But Ulquiorra's not supposed to see Orihime tonight." Ichigo knew he was losing the battle and sighed as the men stared at him silently. "Fine."

XxXxXxX

"I love him so much!" cried out Orihime as the four girls sat around a small, circular booth.

"Yes, for the 100th time… we know," answered Tatsuki who was pretending to be annoyed but couldn't help but find Orihime's rambling endearing. It was really sweet to see how much her best friend was in love. She was really happy for her.

"I think someone needs another drink," said Rangiku as she stood up from the booth and headed towards the bar through a large crowd of people. Several male heads turned as Rangiku made her way through but she ignored them all and leaned over the bar to order another round of shots.

When the busty woman came back, she passed out the small glasses and they all raised them up at once and tossed them down their throats.

"Let's go dance," suggested Rukia as she placed her empty glass on the table.

"Dance?" Orihime's eyes grew large and she shrank into the seat cushions.

"Yea, come on. Let's have some fun!" said Rukia who started pulling Orihime from the booth.

Orihime quickly adjusted her skirt which had slid a few inches up her legs. The skirt was already uncomfortably short but Rangiku had made her wear it. The metallic silver material danced with a multitude of colors from all the different lights beaming from all over the room and her black sleeveless top showed way more skin than she was used to. The entire upper portion of her back was exposed due to the halter style of the top and the front had waves of fabric bunched up around her chest. She was happy she was at least covered there.

The four women made their way out to the crowded dance floor and worked their way to the center of the group. Orihime had never liked dancing but was spurred on by Rangiku helping her move her hips and the alcohol. A scantily clad woman walked through the mass of people with a tray full of test tube looking glasses filled with a sweet alcohol and Rukia quickly bought four and passed one to each of them.

Orihime felt her head start to spin and forgot that she was on a dance floor surrounded by dozens of people and wearing shoes with heals way higher than she was used to. The four women just enjoyed themselves, dancing with each other and ignoring any guy who tried to join them.

"I wonder what the guys are doing," shouted Orihime, her voice loud to be heard over the music.

"Probably playing some stupid card came and drinking," answered Rukia and then swatted a guys hand away from her hips.

Orihime giggled and started to move quicker with the new song. She was starting to actually enjoy this dancing thing. It wasn't so bad when you didn't care what people were thinking. She wondered if Ulquiorra would ever dance with her. The thought made her laugh but a flare of heat settled low in her belly. 'If he danced as well as he grinded in bed…' she started to think and groaned at her own thoughts. The alcohol was definitely working on her.

"Snap out of it woman. You have enough time to think about your man after your married," Rangiku said while purchasing another round of shots from the waitress.

Orihime shook her head when the tube was offered to her but Rangiku insisted. "This is your bachelorette party! Enjoy it!"

With a groan, Orihime took the glass and drank it quickly, handing it back to the lady who quickly vanished into the crowd.

A man came up behind her and pulled her against his hips. She stepped away and moved closer to Tatsuki who was staring daggers at the man.

"Get away from her you scumbag!" Tatsuki hollered and the man quickly ducked away and moved on to the next pretty girl he saw.

"Thanks Tatsuki," said Orihime, stumbling slightly as she moved back to where she'd been dancing a few moments ago. The song changed again and this time it was a slightly slower song which she actually recognized. She let her fuzzy mind get lost to the music and she started swaying her body to the beat. She imagined Ulquiorra behind her, his strong arms holding her body against his. She draped her own arm low, over her belly where she imagined his arm to be. The other was placed beneath her breasts and she leaned her head back as if he was there.

She was going to drive herself crazy at this rate. Her pulse was already pounding through her veins and her stomach was fluttering pleasantly. The worst part was, she wasn't even allowed to go home afterwards and see him.

Orihime groaned and leaned towards Tatsuki to say, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom."

Tatsuki nodded and followed Orihime through the crowd to the back of the bar. "It's so hot out there," complained Orihime as she stepped into the stall.

"The place is packed."

"Yea. It is really busy. I'm having fun though," said Orihime. They washed their hands and left the ladies room to find their way back to Rukia and Rangiku. Rangiku seemed to be feeling the effects of the alcohol now and hugged Orihime tightly when she saw her.

"I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed and kissed Orihime on the cheek. "I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow!"

Orihime smiled hugely and felt a rush of excitement pass through her. She was getting married. She was getting married to Ulquiorra tomorrow. It was almost too much for her to believe. She was so happy.

Another song came on and Orihime started dancing again, easily losing herself to the music this time. Her long hair was sticking to her body due to the sheen of sweat covering her and she pulled her hair up into a pony tail, using the elastic band she'd been wearing on her wrist. It felt so good to get the mass of thick hair off her neck. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, her body moving with the strong beat. When she felt a pair of hands gently grab her hips from behind, she didn't bother opening her eyes as she took a step forward where she knew Tatsuki would be.

A few seconds later, no word had left Tatsuki's mouth so she opened her eyes thinking that maybe she had left without her knowing. To her surprise, Tatsuki was there but she was smiling at her instead of glaring at whoever was behind her. Orihime looked down at the hands touching her body, snaking around her waist and pressing her against a hard body.

"Ulquiorra!" she cried out and turned her head to the side to look at him. Huge green orbs stared back at her and he increased the pressure of his arms around her. She didn't realize her hips were still moving against him but he certainly did.

She felt incredible in his arms. He'd noticed her immediately when their small group had walked into the club. It had been the second club that they'd looked in and he hadn't waited for the rest of the guys before walking determinedly across the room to join Orihime. Her body had been so seductive to watch as he'd walked towards her, her hips moving erotically, sending heat to his groin. When his hands had finally touched her, he'd had to stifle the groan that threatened to escape, especially when her rounded bottom pressed _there. _

He barely noticed the other members of his group joining them, his thoughts centered on the woman in front of him.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Rangiku who was glaring at the newly arrived men.

"We were bored," answered Ichigo.

"But… they aren't supposed to be together," she huffed and frowned when she turned and saw the couple embracing each other. Her frown disintegrated as she watched them though. They were so engrossed in each other that they weren't paying attention at all to what was going on around them.

Ulquiorra pressed his lips against the exposed skin on her shoulder and Orihime moaned softly in the back of her throat. Her head turned and their lips met, tongues slipping between parted lips. It was just as she had imagined but so much more. Surprisingly, his hips _did _ start to move with hers and the heat that had been pooling in her belly started to boil. She wanted to wrap her arms around him so she turned in his embrace and faced him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked slightly breathless.

"I wanted to see you," he answered, his hand moving further and further down her back to curve around her bottom. The affects of the alcohol were certainly making his body act a bit more boldly than it normally would.

"I'm glad," was all Orihime said before pressing her lips to his again. The world around them disappeared and they lost themselves in the kiss. Ulquiorra pulled Orihime closer and they started to move slowly to the music, much slower than the beat of the song that was currently playing.

"Great… now we'll never get them apart," groaned Rangiku.

"Eh, who cares… this is more fun anyway," said Renji who had already ordered a drink for himself.

Orihime looked around her at her friends. She was happy that the guys had found them. Not just because she had wanted to be with Ulquiorra but she liked having her close friends around. She watched Ichigo as he danced with Rukia, the pair nearly as lost in their own world as Ulquiorra and Orihime. Toshiro was standing beside Rangiku, looking awkwardly around himself until Rangiku leisurely wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started dancing against him. It was still strange to see Toshiro towering over his lieutenant. His once boyish face was now mature and handsome, his jawline hard and cheek bones more angular. She noticed Tatsuki stop dancing and turn to leave the dance floor but Renji grabbed her wrist before she walked away and pulled her against him. Tatsuki's cheeks turned a bright shade of red, something she'd never witnessed happen to her best friend before and she couldn't help but laugh.

Ulquiorra turned questioning eyes to Orihime and she explained, "I'm laughing at Tatsuki. I've never seen her blush like that before."

He looked over at the dancing couple and then turned his attention to the other two couples nearby. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves now.

"I like your skirt," he whispered against Orihime's ear and let his hand drop farther down her backside.

Orihime felt her face flush and leaned closer to Ulquiorra. She couldn't believe Ulquiorra was touching her like that, in a public place no less. 'How much had he drank?' she wondered and let her hand skim over his shoulders. She loved the ridges of muscle that banded over his shoulders. She'd noticed that since he'd started practicing with Ichigo that he'd bulked up slightly… or maybe it was just her cooking fattening him up. Whatever it was, she loved the results. Not that she hadn't found him mouthwateringly gorgeous before but now was like a bonus. She pressed her hips against him and grinded with the music. Instead of easing some of the need inside her, her body flared even more and she wanted desperately to be alone with him, in their bedroom, devoid of clothes.

"Alright guys, that's enough," shouted Rangiku over the noise of the crowd. Toshiro's hand was resting possessively on her hip and she was partially leaning against his side. "We need to get you too away from each other. Plus, Orihime needs her beauty sleep. Big day tomorrow," she said and winked while reaching out and grabbing Orihime's hand to pull her away.

Orihime quickly gave Ulquiorra a peck on the lips before being yanked away. "I love you!" she cried out and waved before being lost in the crowd.

Ulquiorra watched her leave and then felt Ichigo's arm go around his shoulders, patting him as he said, "Well at least you got to see her for a little bit."

"You guys ready to call it a night?" asked Renji, stepping up to the two men with Toshiro close behind.

"Yea," they both answered in unison and the group started to head towards the exit.

"At least it's early enough that the buses are still running," said Ichigo as they made their way to the bus stop.

Ulquiorra was having a difficult time getting his body to calm down after touching Orihime so intimately and getting no release. He squirmed in his seat, his muscles tense and uncomfortable. The moment he'd seen her he'd felt his body heating up. He hated not being able to sleep with her tonight. He was half tempted to make his way over to the hotel the girls were staying at but he knew that they would only kick him out. He'd been lucky to have been allowed to dance with her for a little while.

When the bus stopped, the four men exited and headed towards Ichigo's house. He didn't really want to stay at Ichigo's but he'd told Orihime he would and to be honest, the idea of sleeping in their bed… alone, bothered him.

A few minutes later, they all walked inside the small apartment and Ichigo handed out thin mats for them to sleep on, Renji claiming the sofa for himself. Surprisingly, sleep found Ulquiorra quickly.


	30. Chapter 30

**Ok so, this is going to be my last chapter for this story. Please don't hate me for leaving a few minor things unresolved. I've just lost interest in this story and I'm dying to start something else but I don't want to while I'm still doing this one.**

**I hope you have enjoyed it and I hope this is a good ending for you all.**

**-Nikki **

**Chapter 30**

"Hey Ren… can you do my tie for me?" asked Ichigo who was staring dejectedly at the black slip of fabric dangling between his fingers.

"Moron…" mumbled Renji as he grabbed the tie from Ichigo and grabbed Ulquiorra's as well who turned grateful eyes on the red head.

The four stood in Ichigo's small living room and finished putting on their tuxedos. Ulquiorra felt a strange fluttering in his stomach, a feeling he usually only got when with Orihime. He took a deep breath and looked at the clock for what must have been the 100th time that morning. He would swear the hands stopped moving.

"Nervous?" asked Ichigo, making Ulquiorra jump at the sudden noise. "Jeez, you are nervous. It's not like she's gonna say no," he commented after noticing Ulquiorra's startled expression.

Ulquiorra just took another deep breath and ran a hand through his raven locks. It was silly to think he was nervous. What was there to be nervous about? He'd been waiting for this day for nearly a year now. This ceremony was nothing more than another strange human technicality. He just wanted it over and done with.

…but why was his stomach doing somersaults?

He shook his head at his best friend and rested a hand on the back of the dark grey sofa, propping himself up as his thoughts started to race in his head. What if she _did_ say no? What if she decided last minute that she wasn't really in love with him? His stomach lurched and he clenched his hand tighter on the fabric of the sofa. He placed his other hand beside the one already clutching the sofa and let his head sag forward as he tried to control his suddenly stinted breathing.

He could hear Renji and Toshiro chastising Ichigo for his comment as he worked on breathing in and out, in and out… in and out. A hand roughly patted him in the center of his upper back and then orange spiky hair entered his field of vision as Ichigo leaned around him to look at his face.

"Orihime loves you Ulquiorra. You have nothing to worry about."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes tightly and started to think about the first time he'd seen Orihime. She'd been standing in front of her friend Tatsuki, blocking her from Yami's death blow, the second line of defense behind Ichigo's friend Chad. She'd stood so bravely in front of them, ready to give her life to protect her friends and he'd found it admirable… admirable but stupid.

He'd watched her heal her gravely injured friend, using a technique which intrigued him. He'd known Aizen would be have been interested in the woman. Her power could be quite useful to him. But when he watched Orihime with her flaming orange hair wiping ferociously in the breeze, her silver eyes glinting with determination, a sliver of fear had coursed through his body. Fear that had caused him to say, 'Kill her, Yami."

His body involuntarily shivered. How could he think he ever deserved a woman like her? She was everything that was pure and good while he was trash. He hadn't understood at the time but now he knew that his order had been made because she'd made him feel something he'd never felt before. It had frightened him, the alien emotion that was welling up inside him. The experience was unsettling and he did the only thing he knew… he'd ordered the cause of such a strange reaction to occur to be destroyed.

He didn't know he was shaking or that his hands were creating permanent indents in Ichigo's furniture. When the hand that had been on his back moved to his shoulder, joined by another hand on his other shoulder, he was forced to step back and open his eyes. Ichigo was shaking him roughly, concern etched clearly on his face. He was saying something but he couldn't understand. His mind was lost.

Ichigo shook him again, nearly screaming in Ulquiorra's blank face. "Ulquiorra…!"

The natural progression of his thoughts brought him to the moment when he'd found Orihime in the tunnel between Soul Society and the human world. From the moment Aizen had instructed him to bring the woman back to Las Noches, a strange feeling had crept into his body, a mixture of possessiveness and determination. As soon as he'd seen Orihime and the defiant way she stood before him, he'd wanted her. He'd wanted to make her his. In what way he didn't know but he knew he'd wanted to possess her. That feeling had only grown until the day he'd been reborn a human.

Ichigo was watching the myriad of expretions that were passing over Ulquiorra's face while he shook his close friend. "Ulquiorra, snap out of it!"

"Hit him," suggested Renji who received a scowl from Ichigo at the suggestion.

"I'm not gonna hit him on his wedding day."

"Well do something," Renji pressed, an escalating look of concern spreading across his face. He'd grown quite close to Ulquiorra over the past two years. Usually whenever Ichigo and him would come for their meetings with Yamamoto they would stay at his place and a bond had formed between them. Not to mention the times Renji came down to the living world which was quite numerous.

"Thanks for the suggestion genius. You know, cus I was shaking him for no reason," retorted Ichigo sarcastically.

Ulquiorra blinked rapidly a few times, his eyes adjusting to the sight of Ichigo standing mere inches in front of him. Another rough shake from his friend made him step back which caused Ichigo to release him.

"Are you ok?" Ichigo asked with concern.

He nodded his head but with little conviction. He was scared as hell at the moment.

"Ulquiorra… listen to me. I might be way off on this but you have absolutely nothing to be worried about. I've known Orihime for a long time and she is completely in love with you. Whatever happened before you became human doesn't matter. You know her, she can't lie for anything. How many times has she told you that she loves you? You know it's the truth… and you love her too." Ichigo's words came out in secession, slowly penetrating Ulquiorra's brain.

"You're right… she doesn't lie," he whispered, his eyes going far away again. He remembered her promise to him when he'd found her in the park, years after Aizen had been defeated. _I'll take care of you now…_ and she had. He remembered the first time they touched hands in the park, their first kiss under the stars beside the lake, the first time they'd made love… love, yes it certainly was love. "She loves me."

"Yes you dumb ass," exclaimed Renji. "She agreed to marry you. Usually that means the girl loves you."

Ulquiorra nodded and shook the final cobwebs from his brain, releasing a sigh and looking at his friends. It still amazed him how much his life had changed. Not only with Orihime being in his life but with his friends. He'd never had friends before, people who actually cared about him and were concerned for him. Even he had changed considerably. It was obvious even to himself that he was different. No longer was he a completely cold individual who only saw things at face value. He was able to gauge emotion now which had always puzzled him before.

"Alright guys… Are you ready?" asked Toshiro who was looking at the clock with a worried frown.

They all nodded and started heading out of Ichigo's apartment.

XxXxXxX

"You have so much hair!" whined Rangiku as she tried to arrange Orihime's hair. Every time she would stick one bobby pin in, another would pop out. The thick mass was slightly wavy and Rangiku was working to pull the front and top sections of hair to the back and twist it into a loose bun. The back of her hair flowed freely down her back in silky waves.

"Tatsuki, can you hand me those pins over there?" Rangiku asked, pointing to a pile of silver flower tipped hair clips and saying thanks when Tatsuki dropped them on the table in front of where Orihime was sitting. Carefully she stuck the pins in, arranging them randomly in the reddish-orange hair.

"There, what do you think?" Rangiku asked, handing Orihime an oval mirror.

Orihime stood up and turned around so that her back was facing the mirror. She lifted the hand held mirror up and looked at her reflection. "It's perfect!" she squealed and Rangiku had to hold her shoulders to keep her from bouncing in excitement.

"Don't jump! You'll mess up your hair!" cried Rangiku.

"Oh, sorry," said Orihime sheepishly.

Rangiku pointed to a spot beneath the bun and said, "This is where the veil is going to go."

Orihime smiled and barely contained the excitement inside her. She was marrying Ulquiorra today! She'd woken up before the sun in her excitement and it only seemed to increase throughout the day. She just couldn't believe it was actually happening.

"Ok Orihime. Let's get you in that dress before you combust," said Rukia.

Several minutes later, Orihime stood staring at herself in the large head to floor mirror. Butterflies started to fill her stomach and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Just a little bit longer and she would be able to see Ulquiorra.

"How much longer till we have to go?" she asked.

Tatsuki looked at her watch and stated, "Right now. We have to leave now or we'll be late."

Orihime's face broke out into a huge smile and she quickly slid her feet into a pair of white strappy heals with silver rhinestones dotting the straps. The four women made their way out of the room and Orihime couldn't help but admire how each of them looked in their bridesmaid gowns. They'd decided to keep the color scheme the same, pink with green embellishments, but slightly altered the cut of each gown. Each girl had a completely different body type and what looked good on one would inevitably look horrible on the other.

Tatsuki's was long and sleek, hugging her slender body with spaghetti straps and green piping along the edges. The silky light pink material flowed down over her legs and had a slit up her left leg which reached to about mid-thigh. Rangiku's was also long and fitted but the top was strapless and instead of a slit, the skirt was cut at an angle which started at the side of one thigh and angled down to the hem. Rukia's had a halter style top, the material hugging her body and then splitting down the center, just above her knees.

"You guys look great!" exclaimed Orihime as they stood inside the descending elevator.

"Nothing compared to you," said Rangiku, a large smile spreading over her face as she looked at her close friend. Orihime had chosen a sleeveless gown with a bodice which clung tightly to her generous curves down to her waist. The skirt then flared out in layer after layer of lacy material. The bodice was decorated with silver rhinestones placed randomly like a sparkling night sky. What Orihime loved most about the dress though was the satin green belt that cinched her waist, just above where the skirt started and then the back of the skirt which was made of the same satin material. The green satin spread further and further out towards the bottom of the skirt and was trimmed with a silver lace around the entire hem. On the satin of the skirt, a flower pattern had been created out of white and silver lace which matched the veil that now cascaded down her back. The emerald color on the dress matched Ulquiorra's eyes perfectly and the bouquet was a mixture of white and green orchids.

When the elevator stopped, the foursome quickly exited and made their way through the crowded lobby. Once outside, they turned to the left and after a block, they were at the park entrance; the same park where Orihime had reunited with Ulquiorra and the same park where Ulquiorra had proposed to her. The woman received awed stares by nearly every person they passed on their way but Orihime wasn't paying attention to any of this. The only thing on her mind was seeing Ulquiorra.

They approached the hill where Orihime knew that if they walked up it they would see all their friends waiting for them. A zillion butterflies started dancing inside her stomach and she had to restrain herself from running up the hill and sprinting to Ulquiorra's arms.

"Ok Orihime, wait here. I'll go see if everything is ready." Rukia walked briskly up the hill and vanished from sight a few seconds later. Orihime's entire body was trembling when Tatsuki took her hands and leaned her forehead against hers.

"I can't believe you're getting married," Tatsuki said, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"I know. I can barely believe it either," answered Orihime, clutching Tatsuki's hands tighter.

"He better take care of you."

Orihime smiled and threw her arms around her best friend. "I love you Tatsuki."

"I love you too Orihime," she answered and stepped abruptly back, rubbing a hand under her eyes and sniffing loudly.

When Orihime looked away from Tatsuki, she saw Rukia walking back down the hill and with her was Ichigo, Renji and Toshiro. All three men had huge grins as they approached the women and Rangiku let out a loud whistle. "Who knew you guys would be so hot in those tux's. We're going to have to dress you up more often."

Orihime giggled at Rangiku's comment. She had to agree though, the men did look great.

Renji walked up to Orihime and gave her a warm hug and kissed her on the cheek. "You look great. Ulquiorra will be drooling before he says 'I do.'" Orihime laughed and was immediately caught up in another set of arms.

"Congratulations Orihime," said Toshiro before releasing her and stepping back.

After Orihime thanked Toshiro, she turned her head and looked at the spiky orange hair approaching. A well of emotion started bubbling in her stomach and she took a step forward and threw her arms around Ichigo's shoulders. They had been through so much together and their friendship had always stayed strong.

"I don't know what to say," started Ichigo. "You deserve all the best things in life. I'm sure you guys will be happy together."

Orihime squeezed Ichigo for a brief second before releasing him and smiling as she said, "Thanks Ichigo."

Suddenly the music started playing and Orihime turned excited eyes to the group of friends.

"That's our cue," said Rangiku exuberantly, taking Toshiro's arm and walking up the center of the hill. Tatsuki and Renji followed the pair and then Ichigo and Rukia followed them. Orihime trailed behind, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides, one hand nearly strangling the bouquet of flowers. She'd decided to walk alone down the aisle. The only person she would ever want to give her away lived in her heart and she would let that guide her.

Releasing one last breath, Orihime opened her eyes and stepped up the last few steps till she reached the top of the hill. Once she felt the white cloth beneath her feet, she looked up and her eyes immediately sought out emerald.

Ulquiorra stared at the couples as they walked, one after the other, down the hill, past row after row of chairs filled with friends and family and then moved to stand on either side of him. When the song changed, his eyes moved up the hill and there she was, the most incredible thing he'd ever seen. He felt his chest expand and his heart rate accelerate. She'd come!

He watched her take step after step, her eyes locking with his as she made her way down the aisle. Her smile was breathtaking and he had to lock his knees to keep himself from collapsing in a heap.

Orihime could barely keep herself from dashing down the aisle. It felt like every muscle in her body was ready burst. Her skin was crawling with anticipation. He looked so handsome up there, his tux fitted perfectly, outlining his broad shoulders and accentuating his narrow hips. His inky black hair moved lightly with the breeze and framed his perfectly pale face. But, the most intriguing feature… was his eyes, always his eyes. The eyes that could look inside her soul. The eyes that could show so much emotion in a single glance. The eyes that she had fallen in love with.

Her heart skipped a beat when the corners of his mouth turned up into a half smile and before she could stop herself, her feet flew down the remaining few yards. She threw herself into Ulquiorra's arms and wrapped her own, tightly around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck. She could hear a few giggles and laughs around them, even a gasp from someone near the front. Her head tilted back and she looked up into Ulquiorra's smiling face. "I love you," she whispered.

Ulquiorra stared at the face in front of his, her beautiful eyes shining with happiness. "I love you too Orihime," he answered.

A gentle cough interrupted their moment and Orihime stepped back from him, giggling and holding his hands. Their vows were simple but everyone could feel the depth of their emotions as they spoke the words that would bind them together for the rest of their lives. Orihime's hands shook as she slid the white gold band over Ulquiorra's finger, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. When their lips met finally as man and wife, the tears finally spilled from Orihime's eyes and traveled down her cheeks, mingling with their kiss. Their arms pressed each other closely together, so close that they could feel each other's heart beating. As so often happened when they kissed, they lost themselves within each other. The world around them evaporated and it was only them, only their lips and warm bodies.

They finally broke apart and reality returned to them with thunderous applause. Orihime looked around them and smiled hugely at the crowd of people who were cheering and whistling. Tatsuki was the first to hug her followed by Rangiku and Rukia. From the front row came her aunt, the only family she had left besides her husband.

"I'm so happy for you," her aunt cried as she caught her up in a big hug, her cheeks stained with tears.

"Thank you," Orihime said, pressing a kiss to her aunt's cheek.

Orihime turned to find Ulquiorra and caught him shaking hands with Ichigo who was grinning from ear to ear.

"So, when's the honeymoon?" asked Renji who was standing beside Ichigo.

"We leave tomorrow," answered Ulquiorra. Orihime joined them and threaded her fingers through Ulquiorra's as a group formed around them.

"We're going to Hawaii!" exclaimed Orihime.

The next hour or so was filled with lots of hugging and congratulations as everyone invited made their way to the newly wed couple. They had decided to have the reception directly after the ceremony so several buffet tables were lined up and the chairs were quickly arranged around tables that were brought in.

Orihime couldn't have hoped for anything more. She was surrounded by her closest friends and family and the man she loved was by her side.

"Ulqui…?"

"Yes Orihime?" Ulquiorra answered, turning his eyes to hers.

"I'm so glad you kidnapped me."

Ulquiorra chuckled and said, "I'm so glad you stole my heart."

**The End**

**Please review and let me know what you thought! I hope you enjoyed it and weren't frustrated terribly with the ending.**

**Oh and… June 22nd (the day I picked for their wedding in this story) is my birthday I couldn't help myself.**

**Also, I posted a picture on my Avatar of the dress I picked out for Orihime. I'm not sure I described it very well. **

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed and followed my story. All the love has been GREATLY appreciated. I treasure every review I get. **


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